The star of General Hospital “passed away peacefully” at home in Big Horn, Wyoming.
The Kane Funeral Home told people about his death on its website.
From what the funeral home says, Doug died “with his loving wife [Cate Abert] at his side.”
At this point, no other information has been given, and the cause of death has not been known.
Fans of the actor who played “LOVED HIM” took to social media to mourn his death a week after the sad news spread.
One person wrote on X on July 8: “Very sad news.”
“I loved him as Joe.” There were some sweet times between Ben and Val, but I always wanted Gary and Val. “Too many beloved soap vets are leaving us,” wrote someone else.
“My thoughts and prayers are with Doug Sheehan’s family during this sad time. From 1979 to 1982, he played Joe Kelly on General Hospital. It makes me so sad to hear this. “I will miss him,” said a third.
“Sorry to see that General Hospital and Knots Landing alum Doug Sheehan has passed,” put in a fourth. “I met him at a press event many years ago, and I recall him being just as amiable as his on-screen persona suggested he was.”
“Oh no, another great actor from General Hospital has died.” The funny, nice, and very skilled Doug Sheehan. Served as Joe Kelly. Besides Knot’s Landing, he did a lot of other work as well. “May he rest in peace,” one person wrote.
Doug was well-known for his roles on General Hospital and Knots Landing. He was in more than 100 episodes of each show.
LIFE THAT WAS MADE FOR TV
Doug was born in Santa Monica, California, in 1949. His acting career began when he was in an episode of Charlie’s Angels in 1978.
After that, he played lawyer Joe Kelly on General Hospital all the time.
He was in a crazy 205 episodes from 1979 to 1982, so “regular” might not be the right word.
The actor was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series for this part.
As time went on, he got many more TV roles, including one on CBS’s Dallas spinoff Knots Landing.
He played reporter Ben Gibson on the show from 1983 to 1988. When his character went to South America in Season 8, he left the show.
Doug talked about TV fame and how hard it can be to break into the mainstream on an episode of The Arsenio Hall Show in 1989.
No one in Hollywood is in charge of making movies; casting directors are in charge. People who do casting never look at what you’re doing…In the daytime, at night, and on the half-hour, I’ve spent my whole time breaking down walls. They aren’t sure if I can do funny shows for an hour yet, so I need to make a name for myself.
Doug’s acting career mostly took off on TV; he never quite made it to the big screen with a movie role.
Three movies with big screens showed him: 10 in 1979, Victor/Victoria in 1982, and Cops n Roberts in 1995.
In the 1990s, he played Cher’s dad in the TV show Clueless, which was based on the famous movie of the same name.
He was also the lead in the NBC comedy Day by Day as Gary David Goldberg from 1988 to 1989. He also had small roles on Cheers, Columbo, MacGyver, and Diagnosis Murder.
His last movie roles were in What I Like About You and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, where he played Sabrina’s (Melissa Joan Hart) dad.
Before he died, Doug was married to Cate Abert. They did not have any children together.