Rod Taylor Has Passed Away

We’re sad to report that Rod Taylor has passed away at the age of 84.

Variety revealed the somber news that Rod Taylor died from a heart attack yesterday in Los Angeles. Horror and science fiction fans remember Taylor from his lead role as Mitch Brenner in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, his turn as author H. George Wells in The Time Machine (based on the novel of the same name), his portrayal of Lieutenant Colonel Clegg Forbes in the "And When the Sky Was Opened" episode of The Twilight Zone, and his co-starring credit in 1956's World Without End. In 2007, Taylor played "Doc" in the Sci Fi Channel's KAW, another film about deadly birds.

Taylor also led an all-star cast in Young Cassidy, had key roles in the Doris Day films Do Not Disturb and The Glass Bottom Boat, and played Winston Churchill in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds—a small yet juicy role for the veteran actor. Our thoughts go out to Rod Taylor’s family and friends.