Tom Bower, a prolific actor known for his roles in ‘Die Hard 2’, ‘The Office’, and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, passed away on May 30 at 86. His sister-in-law, Mary Miller, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter, stating that he died peacefully in his sleep at his Los Angeles home.
Bower’s representative, Marsha McManus, expressed her sorrow to ET: “The three most important things in Tom’s life were his wife Ursula, his acting career, and his dedication to fair contracts for fellow actors. He was an exceptional human being.”
Bower began his acting career with a role in a 1973 TV movie. Originally from Colorado, he appeared in numerous films, including the Bruce Willis-led sequel ‘Die Hard 2′, Anthony Hopkins’ ‘Nixon’, ‘North Country’ with Charlize Theron, and Jeff Bridges’ ‘Crazy Heart’. On television, Bower frequently appeared in shows like ‘The Rockford Files’, ‘The X-Files’, ‘The West Wing’, ‘Monk’, and ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’. His most notable TV role was Dr. Curtis Willard on the 1970s historical drama ‘The Waltons’. According to Bower, the producers wrote off his character after he requested a small raise.
“I asked for a very small raise, so they sent me to Pearl Harbor,” he recounted in a 2022 interview with Judy Norton, who played his character’s wife, Mary Ellen Walton. “When they decided to bring the character back, washed up on a shore somewhere — which I didn’t think was a great idea anyway — I asked for the same small raise… They just cast a different actor.”
Bower married his wife Ursula and stayed with her for 51 years until her death in August 2023 at 75. He leaves behind his two children, Viveca and Rob, and four grandchildren.
