'General Hospital' and 'Risky Business' Star Nicholas Pryor Dead Aged 89 After Cancer Battle: 'He Was an Actor's Actor'
General Hospital actor Nicholas Pryor has died at the age of 89.
Oct. 9 2024, Published 12:59 p.m. ET
Famed character actor Nicholas Pryor – who played Tom Cruise's father in Risky Business and Kathleen Robertson's dad on Beverly Hills, 90210 – has died aged 89 after a battle with cancer.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Hollywood veteran, who also appeared in the General Hospital spin-off series Port Charles – passed away in his Wilmington, North Carolina home – with his widow announcing his death by sharing a note written by the actor.
Pryor also starred in Risky Business.
The humble message, which Pryor said was to be delivered to media after his death – and which was shared by his actress widow Christine Belford – said: "Nicholas Pryor was enormously grateful to have been, for nearly 70 years, a working actor."
The actor died on Monday in his home in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Jon Lindstrom, Pryor's co-star on General Hospital and Port Charles, also broke the news of his death on Instagram.
He said: "It is my solemn task to announce the passing of the great Nicholas Pryor."
The actor added Pryor was "an actor's actor, and an exceptional friend".
Pryor's other roles included a part on Beverly Hills, 90210.
Pryor's years on General Hospital spin-off Port Charles led to a successful career in daytime soap operas, including appearances on The Secret Storm, The Edge of Night, All My Children, Another World and Love Is a Splendored Thing.
His career also included stints on the silver screen.
In addition to his notable role alongside Cruise in Risky Business, Pryor also starred in 1975's Smile, The Gumball Rally, Airplane!, Damien: Omen II, as well as Robert Downey Jr.'s father in Less Than Zero.
He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 28, 1935.
Pryor was introduced to theater while attending the all-boys Gilman School and Yale University.
His craft was developed on stage with the Drummond Players in Baltimore and later he took his talents to the Camden Hills Theatre in Maine, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Star Theatre in Minneapolis.
Shortly after graduating from Yale in 1956, Pryor made his Broadway debut in 1957.
One of Pryor's most memorable roles was playing Tom Cruise's father in 'Risky Business'.
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The legendary actor shared the Broadway stage with Karl Madden in The Egghead; Joan Bennett in Love Me a Little; Leon Ames in Howie and Diana Douglas in The Highest Tree.
After leaving Broadway for a career in TV and movies, he returned to the stage in the 70s with roles in That Championship Season and Thieves.
He married his fourth wife, Christine Belford, in July 1993. The pair met while working on Beverly Hills: 90210 together.
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