Oscar-Nominated Actor Dean Stockwell of 'Quantum Leap' Dies At 85

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Oscar-nominated actor Dean Stockwell died at his home in Hollywood Sunday, and today tributes are pouring in for the character actor known for his roles in "Blue Velvet" and the TV series "Quantum Leap." He was 85.

The North Hollywood native with hundreds of film and tv credits, died of natural causes, according to his publicist.

Stockwell landed his first big part when he was just 7-years-old, acting opposite Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra in "Anchors Aweigh." He would work steadily for the next seven decades — often in supporting roles that anchored the production. It was one such memorable role that earned him an Oscar nomination, playing eccentric mob boss Tony “The Tiger” Russo in "Married to the Mob."

From working with early Hollywood legends such as Lionel Barrymore and Greggory Peck, he went on to explore the countculture genre of the 60s appearing with Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern in 1968 film “Psych-Out.”

The dark-haired Stockwell was a Hollywood veteran by the time he reached his teens. In his 20s, he starred on Broadway as a young killer in the play “Compulsion" and in prestigious films such as “Sons and Lovers.” He was awarded best actor at the Cannes Film Festival twice, in 1959 for the big-screen version of “Compulsion" and in 1962 for Sidney Lumet's adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's “Long Day's Journey Into Night.”

Stockwell worked with and was favored by legendary directors such as Robert Altman, David Lynch, Jonathan Demme, and Francis Ford Coppola. He was frequently cast on the big screen as well as in television hits. He played Admiral ‘Al’ Calavicci in NBC's “Quantum Leap” in the late 80s and early 90s, earning him a Golden Globe and several Emmy nominations.

Stockwell's own relationship with acting, having started on Broadway at age 7, was complicated. In a peripatetic career, he quit show business several times, including at age 16 and again in the 1980s, when he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to sell real estate.

“Dean spent a lifetime yo-yoing back and forth between fame and anonymity," his family said in a statement. "Because of that, when he had a job, he was grateful. He never took the business for granted. He was a rebel, wildly talented and always a breath of fresh air.”

While his career had some lean times, he reached his full stride in the 1980s.

“My way of working is still the same as it was in the beginning — totally intuitive and instinctive,” he told The New York Times in 1987. “But as you live your life, you compile so many millions of experiences and bits of information that you become a richer vessel as a person. You draw on more experience.”

His Oscar-nominated role in “Married to the Mob” led to his most notable TV role the following year, in NBC’s science fiction series “Quantum Leap.” Both roles had strong comic elements.

“It’s the first time anyone’s offered me a series and the first time I’ve ever wanted to do one,” he said in 1989. “If people hadn’t seen me in 'Married To the Mob’ they wouldn’t have realized I could do comedy.”

Although he briefly left the acting profession, he continued working steadily through most of his career, amassing credits in films such as "Paris, Texas," "Dune," "Long Day's Journey Into Night," "The Rainmaker," "The Player" and "Blue Velvet." He won a Golden Globe for best juvenile actor for his role in 1947's "Gentleman's Agreement."

He also appeared on small-screen shows such as "JAG," "The Tony Danza Show" and the reboot of "Battlestar Galactica."

Flowers will be placed Tuesday on his Hollywood Walk of Fame star. He is survived by his wife, Joy, and children Austin and Sophie.

The Associated Press, City News Service and Paige Austin contributed to this report.