Don Gordon, Actor in ‘Bullitt’ and ‘Papillon,’ Dies at 90

Character actor Don Gordon, who appeared alongside his friend Steve McQueen in “Bullitt,” “Papillon,” and “The Towering Inferno,” died April 24 in Los Angeles, according to his wife.

Gordon, who often played tough cops and gangsters, was Emmy-nominated for “The Defenders” in 1962. His first major television role came in “The Blue Angels,” which ran in 1960-61.

In “Bullitt,” he played Delgetti, the partner of McQueen’s detective character. In “Papillon,” he was the inmate Julot; he was a fire captain in “The Towering Inferno.”

His early TV roles included roles in McQueen’s 1959 “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” “Peyton Place,” “Border Patrol,” “U.S. Marshal,” and “Twilight Zone” episodes “The Four of Us Are Dying” and “The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross.” His other 1960s TV appearances included “The Lloyd Bridges Show,” “Channing,” “Empire,” “The Fugitive,” and “The Outer Limits.”

In the 1970s, he appeared in “Columbo” and starred in the TV series “Lucan” in 1977-78. His film appearances included Dennis Hopper’s “The Last Movie” and “Out of the Blue,” as well as “The Beast Within,” “Fuzz,” “Slaughter,” and “The Mack.”

Gordon wrote the screenplay for “The Lollipop Cover,” in which he also starred.

He is survived by his wife Denise and a daughter, Gabrielle.

Donations may be made to the Lange Foundation for impounded cats and dogs.

(Pictured: Don Gordon, left, with Steve McQueen in “Bullitt.”)

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