Duryea Passes
1 min read
Peter Duryea, best-known to original series fans, has passed away at the age of seventy-three.
Duryea portrayed Lt. Jose Tyler in The Cage, the original pilot for Star Trek.
Duryea followed his father Dan Duryea into acting, with roles in thirty television shows, including guest appearances on Dr. Kildare, Bewitched, Daniel Boone, Gomer Pyle: USMC, Adam-12 and Dragnet, and six movies.
In 1964, he was cast as Lt. Jose Tyler for The Cage. “[Star Trek] reminded me of a western, but set in the future and it was very interesting,” said Duryea in a 2001 interview. “I was among the other many, many people who auditioned. I was really happy to be part of it and took the job really seriously. I can remember long talks with the director, Robert Butler, how to do the part.”
Duryea left acting in 1973 and moved his family to Canada, where he became an environmentalist and an activist. He founded the Kootenay Lake Players, a children’s theater collective. “Having come from Hollywood, this was a delightful change for me,” said Duryea.
Duryea is survived by his partner Janice Bryan, his daughter Star, and his brother Richard.
About The Author
45 years past, his father passed away – which was in a way a motivator for Peter Duryea to seek something different, elsewhere. 45 years later, he rejoins his father in the afterlife.
Peter, you will be sadly missed. God Bless.
That did not turn out as expected. I merely meant to pay my respects. Godspeed, Mr. Duryea.