Don Keefer Has Passed Away

Don Keefer left an indelible mark on the minds of horror and sci-fi fans with his crucial and courageous role in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone and his memorable turn in "The Crate" segment of George A. Romero and Stephen King's Creepshow. Though his impressive onscreen personalities will last forever, we're sad to report that Don Keefer has passed away at the age of 98.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Don Keefer passed away of natural causes on September 7th. In the 1961 "It's a Good Life" episode of The Twilight Zone, Don played Dan Hollis, a man celebrating his birthday with his wife, a few friends, and the six-year-old mind-reading malevolent mutant, Anthony Fremont. Don turned in a powerful performance, standing up to the young telepathic murderer and challenging his friends to put an end to the madness. His desperate speech was a spine-tingler and helped "It's a Good Life" become one of the most highly-regarded episodes of The Twilight Zone series.

Horror hounds may also remember Don from his turn as Mike, a college custodian who discovers a mysterious box in "The Crate" segment of 1982's Creepshow, directed by George A. Romero off a screenplay by Stephen King, based on a previously published short story by King.

Don also appeared on The Munsters, Star Trek, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and a plethora of other television shows. Don was active on the stage before breaking into onscreen roles, having played Bernard in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman before reprising the role in the 1951 film adaptation. Our thoughts go out to Don's family and friends.