Lance Kerwin, who rose to fame in the 1970s on shows like Salem’s Lot and James at 15, died on January 24, according to his agent John Boitano. He was 62. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
“I had the pleasure of working with Lance for two years; he was an intelligent, funny, and compassionate individual,” Boitano said in a statement. “He was excited to resume his acting career; he had recently appeared in The Wind and the Reckoning. I enjoyed our time together and considered him a friend as well as a client. I’m going to miss him.”
Kerwin rose to prominence as a child actor, appearing in shows such as Little House on the Prairie, The Family Holvak, and Wonder Woman.
He played the titular character James Hunter in James at 15—later renamed James at 16 when the character turned 16—as the son of a college professor with a passion for photography. James struggles to adjust to his new life after his family relocates from Oregon to Massachusetts in the series.
Kerwin told the local North Carolina newspaper The Robesonian in 1978 that he had been preparing for acting stardom since he was eight years old, and his appearance on the show cemented him as a talent to watch. He remembered reading plays after school and performing them in front of his parents, as well as writing a letter to his idol Clint Eastwood.
Kerwin, a skilled flute and piccolo player, had written in the note, “if you ever need a kid like me, just give me a call,” the outlet reported.
Following his success on James at the age of 15, Kerwin was cast as Mark Petrie in the 1979 miniseries Salem’s Lot, which was based on a 1975 Stephen King novel of the same name.
“One of the reasons they liked me for the role was that when I came in, I had ideas,” Kerwin said in 2019 to The College Crowd Digs Me. “I didn’t have to audition, but I did come in and meet with them. And we’d talk about the character and the movie.”
Kerwin, who appeared in the 2022 film The Wind and the Reckoning, reflected on his time in the spotlight, saying that his experience as a child actor “was a positive one.”
“I learned a work ethic. “Exploring different cultures,” he said. “I had the most wonderful childhood. And it was a fantastic career. It’s probably been 20…25 years. And the shows I was a part of, as well as the people I worked with I carry it to this day.”
In the year 2000, he married his wife Yvonne. He is survived by his children Savanah, Fox, Terah, Kailani, and Justus, according to Variety.
