Tom Bower, 'The Waltons' and 'Die Hard 2' actor, dies at 86: 'An extraordinary human being'

Actor Tom Bower, best known for his roles in "The Waltons" and "Die Hard 2," died last week. He was 86.

Bower died May 30 at his home in Los Angeles, Bower’s representative Marsha McManus confirmed to USA TODAY in an emailed statement Thursday. “He was an extraordinary human being,” McManus said.

The Denver-born actor reportedly died in his sleep, Bower’s sister-in-law Mary Miller told The Hollywood Reporter.

Bower made his television debut in the early 1970s, playing a police guard in the 1973 TV movie “Incident at Vichy.” He followed up his showbiz breakthrough with guest appearances on the series “Kojak,” “The Bionic Woman” and “The Rockford Files.”

On “The Waltons,” Bower made his first appearance during the family drama’s fourth season in 1975, playing Rex Barker. He went on to score the role of Dr. Curtis Willard, whom he portrayed for Seasons 5-7.

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Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Bower lit up the silver screen with appearances in “Massive Retaliation” (1984), “Beverly Hills Cop II” (1987), “Raising Cain” (1992) and “Nixon” (1995).

In 1990, Bower landed the role of Marvin in “Die Hard 2,” starring alongside Bruce Willis, William Atherton and Bonnie Bedelia. The action thriller grossed $117.5 million at the global box office.

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Bower stayed active in entertainment the 2000s and 2010s with roles in “The West Wing” (2000), “Law & Order” (2001), “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006), “Grey’s Anatomy” (2013), “Criminal Minds” (2013) and “Bosch” (2016).

Bower’s most recent role was Henry Devereaux Sr. on the Bob Odenkirk-led dramedy “Lucky Hank” in 2023.