Whether you know him as Mr. Teague from Poltergeist, Frank from The Return of the Living Dead, or even Nathan Lassiter from Little House: The Last Farewell, James Karen was as versatile, prolific, and talented an actor as they come, and we're sad to share the news that he has passed away at the age of 94.
Multiple sources have shared the sad news of James' passing, including The Hollywood Reporter, who mention that his wife, Alba, confirmed the news that James passed away at his house in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 23rd.
With over 200 credits on IMDb in an acting career that spanned eight decades, James was a frequent presence on both the big and small screens for an entire lifetime. While he worked in many genres throughout his career, James held a special place in horror lovers' hearts for his memorable roles in a variety of films and TV series, including Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster, The Invisible Man TV series, Poltergeist, Tucker's Witch, Poltergeist, The Return of the Living Dead, Tobe Hooper's Invaders from Mars remake, Return of the Living Dead II, Girlfriend from Hell, The Unborn, Piranha (1995), The Nightmare Room, and America's Most Haunted.
Many viewers will forever remember James as Mr. Teague in Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist, whom Craig T. Nelson's character angrily confronts in one of the film's most memorable scenes.
Zombie fans, however, will no doubt always think of The Return of the Living Dead when they think of James Karen. As Frank, a warehouse worker showing new employee Freddy (Thom Mathews) the ropes (and the military drums of Trioxin 245), James is infinitely quotable and endlessly charming. Along with Matthews (with whom he shared a great Abbott and Costello-esque chemistry), James brought slapstick comedy and plenty of heart to Dan O'Bannon's beloved horror comedy.
James and Matthews were so good on screen together in The Return of the Living Dead, they were brought back in similar roles for Return of the Living Dead II, and while the sequel may not have been as well-received as its predecessor, we are lucky to have two films in the franchise that feature James' infectiously fun performances.
A prolific presence on the big and small screens, James Karen will forever be known as countless iconic characters to generations of viewers, but it is his own name that will be remembered fondly most of all. Our thoughts are with James' family and friends during this difficult time.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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