John Aylward, Veteran ‘ER’ Character Actor, Dead at 75

John Aylward, the veteran character actor best known for his long stint on the hit medical drama ER, has died at the age of 75.

Aylward’s agent Mitchell Stubbs confirmed Aylward’s death to Deadline; while the cause of death was not revealed, Aylward died Monday in his native Seattle after a period of declining health.

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“I was shocked. He was a wonderful actor and a phenomenal human being,” Stubbs told Deadline. “He was a dream client, a friend and a dream person.”

Aylward spent 12 seasons at ER’s County General hospital, appearing in the reoccurring role of Dr. Donald Anspaugh from Season 3 to the series’ penultimate 14th season. Aylward also enjoyed an impressive run as former DNC chairman Barry Goodwin on the final season of The West Wing.

A longtime character actor with six decades of credits on his filmography, Aylward also appeared on shows like The X-Files, Mad Men, Boston Legal, Carnivale, Ally McBeal, and most recently, Briarpatch. His big-screen credits include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Armageddon, North Country, Thirteen Days, and 2020’s The Way Back.

Alyward’s ER co-star Noah Wyles wrote of the actor on Instagram (via TV Line), “Very sad news indeed. John was an amazing actor, a gentleman, and a wonderful friend. He’ll be missed.”

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