Actor Michael Cole, best known for his role as Pete Cochran on “Mod Squad,” has died at the age of 84.
Cole’s representatives confirmed on Tuesday (December 10) that he “lived a full and vibrant life and passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by his loved ones.”
He was one of three stars in ABC’s crime drama The Mod Squad, which aired from 1968 to 1973 and tackled issues ranging from abortion to domestic violence to police brutality. He was considered an important figure in the counterculture movement of the time.
Alongside Peggy Lipton and Clarence Williams III, he played a character who was given the opportunity to work undercover for a police squad in lieu of serving time in prison because the authorities believed he could empathize with the wayward youth of the late ’60s. .
Cole was born on July 3, 1940 in Madison, Wisconsin, and found success with brief roles in the hit Western series Gunsmoke and the 1966 science fiction film The Bubble.
After “The Mod Squad,” he went on to appear in mainstream shows such as “Murder,” “She Wrote,” “Wonder Woman” and “Fantasy Island,” before appearing in the 1990 TV miniseries version of “Stephen King.” He played an older version of Henry Bowers in “It”.
He received critical acclaim for his stage role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, went on to appear in the films Nickel Mountain, Mr. Brooks, and Grave Misconduct, and in 2009 wrote the memoir I Played The White Guy” was released.
Michael Cole’s last role was in a TV movie I wrote called GRAVE MISCONDUCT. Here he shares the screen with Joanna Miles and Crystal Bernard. My condolences to his family and friends. https://t.co/XN5RzYeJaY pic.twitter.com/6Nr9uBZuIr
— Matthew Chernov (@MatthewChernov) December 10, 2024
Grave Misconduct screenwriter Matthew Chernoff also paid tribute to Cole online following the news of his death, writing in X: “Michael Cole’s last role was in a TV movie I wrote called Grave Misconduct, where he shares the screen with Joanna Miles and Crystal Bernard. His family and My condolences to your friend.”
Cole was married three times and is survived by his wife, Sherry Funes, and their three children.
