The Hollywood-born US actor and director Tony Dow (1945-2022) is dead, as reported by several US media. Dow officials confirmed in a July 26 statement to Entertainment Tonight that Dow passed away that morning. The actor had a “beautiful soul”, was “kind, compassionate, funny and humble”. The statement is also available to the US celebrity portal “TMZ”.
Just spending time with Dow has been a pleasure, it said. You couldn’t help but love him. The world lost an “incredible person” with the deceased. He was “like a big brother to all of us”.
Dow is best known for playing Wally Cleaver on the sitcom Leave It To Beaver. But he also had smaller roles in series like “Lassie”, “Knight Rider” or “Murder is her hobby”. He has also directed television, including several episodes of the sci-fi series Babylon 5 and an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
In the summer of 2021, Dow was hospitalized for pneumonia, according to US media reports. His wife, Lauren Shulkind, announced on Facebook in May that the actor was fighting cancer again. He leaves behind his wife and two children.