The Tragic Death Of Melrose Place Actor Brad Johnson
"Melrose Place" fans are mourning the loss of actor Brad Johnson, who played pediatrician Dominick O'Malley on the primetime soap opera. According to a representative for the actor, per Fox News, Johnson died in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 18 at age 62 due to complications from COVID-19. "Anyone who knew Brad knows how difficult it is to sum up the details of his life on a single page," the press release read.
The actor led an illustrious film and television career. He was arguably best-known for his roles in Steven Spielberg's 1989 film "Always" and the drama series "Melrose Place." However, in later years, Johnson also played "Wild" Bill Longley in the 2008 film "Copperhead" and Duane Edwards in the 2005 film "Truce." His most recent role came in 2015, playing Old Buck in "Nail 32" (via IMDb).
In a 1990 interview with People, director John Milius, who directed Johnson in "Flight of the Intruder," said of the actor: "He's certainly got a different quality than the guys today. He has a real strong presence." In response to that statement, Johnson simply and humbly said, "I don't know what the allure is." He later added, "And maybe I don't want to know." Perhaps it had something to do with how he got his start in the business.
Brad Johnson was a devoted family man
According to Entertainment Weekly, Brad Johnson was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, where he became a professional rodeo rider until 1984. That's when a casting director spotted the cowboy and recruited him for a beer commercial. After that, Johnson went on to play the famed Marlboro Man and star in a number of Calvin Klein print ads before landing his first acting gig on "Dallas" in 1986.
According to a press release obtained by Fox News, Johnson "loved cowboying and the outdoors" and "loved nothing more than his family." The press release continued, "He put them before himself in every way, and they know that they could not have been blessed with a better husband and father." In a statement via The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson's family wrote, "Although he was taken too early, he lived life to the fullest and taught his children to do the same. Brad greatly enjoyed improving and enhancing land, in a way that maintained and respected its natural beauty."
Johnson is survived by his wife, Laurie, and their eight children: Shane, Bellamy, Eliana, Eden, Rebekah, Annabeth, William, and Rachel.