Peter Jason, ‘Deadwood’ and ‘Prince of Darkness’ Character Actor, Dies at 80 – Variety
By
Matt Minton
mminton@variety.com
Peter Jason, a character actor known for his roles in “Deadwood,” “48 Hrs.” and “Prince of Darkness,” along with his many television appearances, died Thursday in his West Hollywood home. He was 80.
Jason’s death was confirmed by a rep from Tribesmen Pictures, with the cause of death being cancer. On X, “Halloween” director John Carpenter shared a tribute to the actor, writing that “he was a dear friend and I’ll miss him terribly.”
Matthew Asner, son of the late Edward Asner, also shared a tribute.
“My dear, dear friend, the brightest light, most generous soul and gregarious of men, the supremely talented and kind Peter Jason has left the set,” Matthew Asner wrote on Facebook. “I am heartbroken. My dear friend and my father’s best friend, Peter Jason, passed away today. What a loss. He was truly one of the sweetest people on the planet. My heart goes out to his wife and daughter. Peter, I hope you and my dad are up there laughing your asses off.”
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In his most notable roles, Jason played Con Stapleton in “Deadwood” for 26 episodes from 2004-2006, Dr. Paul Leahy in Carpenter’s “Prince of Darkness” and the redneck bartender in “48 Hrs.” alongside Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Frank McRae and James Remar.
Jason got his film debut in the Howard Hawks Western “Rio Lobo” with John Wayne. He went on to star in “Impulse” (1984), “Brewster’s Millions” (1985), “They Live” (1988) and “Alien Nation” (1988), working closely with directors Frank Marshall, Walter Hill and Carpenter. Most recently, he was cast by the Coen brothers in “Hail, Caesar!” (2016) and in 2019 reprised his role as Con Stapleton in “Deadwood: The Movie.”
He was also a guest star on many television shows, including “Gunsmoke” (1970), “Murder, She Wrote” (1984), “The Golden Girls” (1985), Steven Spielberg’s “Amazing Stories” (1985) and “Mad Men” (2008).
Jason is survived by his wife, Eileen Rosaly, and two children, Robin and Andrew.
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Source: https://variety.com/2025/film/news/peter-jason-dead-deadwood-princes-of-darkness-1236315556/
