Marjoe Gortner, 'Marjoe' Documentary Subject and Actor, Dies at 82
Gortner, a former evangelical preacher who starred in 'Earthquake' and 'Falcon Crest,' died Friday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his wife confirmed.
Marjoe Gortner, the former evangelical preacher who became the subject of the Oscar-winning 1971 documentary Marjoe and went on to a career as an actor, died Friday at the age of 82 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His wife, Susan Magestro, confirmed his death to Variety.
A memorial notice said Gortner had suffered from congestive heart failure for years.
Gortner was born in Long Beach, California, into an evangelical family. As a child he preached at revivals; when he was 16, his father absconded with what was reported to be $3 million in donations. Documentarians Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan followed him on his final revival tour in 1971, and the resulting film, Marjoe, won the Oscar for best documentary.
He later built a screen career, playing the unhinged grocery store manager turned National Guardsman Sgt. Jody Joad in 1974's Earthquake. His film credits also included 1969's When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? and Walter Hill's Wild Bill, along with Viva Knieval!, Bobbie Joe and the Outlaw, The Survivalist and Starcrash.
On television, he appeared on Falcon Crest as a corrupt psychic and in series including Police Story, Airwolf, T.J. Hooker, Street Hawk, Otherworld, The A Team and Fantasy Island. He also scored an acting role in the pilot for Kojak and made a record titled Bad, but Not Evil.
Ian Ziering remembered him for producing the Marjoe Gortner celebrity sports invitationals that aired on CBS on Saturdays for years.
Quick answers
How old was Marjoe Gortner when he died?
He was 82.
Where did Marjoe Gortner die?
He died in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
What documentary was Marjoe Gortner the subject of?
He was the subject of the 1971 documentary 'Marjoe,' which won the Oscar for best documentary.