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Actor Known for ’60s Sci-Fi Series Dead at 84

Jul 7, 2014  •  Post A Comment

One of the stars of a 1960s TV sci-fi series has died at the age of 84. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Don Matheson, who starred as one of the "little people" who were stranded on the ABC series "Land of the Giants," died June 29 at the home of his daughter in Woodland Hills, Calif.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer 10 months ago.

While he's best known for his two seasons as Mark Wilson on Irwin Allen's "Land of the Giants," Matheson had a long career on television, including appearances on "McHale's Navy," "Lost in Space," "General Hospital," 'Days of Our Lives," "The Waltons," "Eight Is Enough" and "Falcon Crest." His TV work spanned the early 1960s through the 1990s.

"Matheson played short-tempered businessman Mark Wilson on 'Land of the Giants,' which aired for two seasons from September 1968 until March 1970," THR reports. "It replaced another Allen-produced series, 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,' on Sunday nights on ABC and was extremely expensive to make, costing a reported $250,000 an episode. John Williams did the theme music."

In 1970 Matheson married one of the other stars of "Land of the Giants," Deanna Lund, with that marriage ending in divorce. He never remarried, and reportedly remained close friends with Lund.

Land_of_the_giants_cast.JPGDon Matheson, at left, with other cast members on "Land of the Giants"

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