Donnelly Rhodes, a well-known Canadian TV actor whose career has spanned decades, died Monday at the age of 80.
He had roles in dozens of TV shows including Sidestreet, Danger Bay and Battlestar Galactica.
A news release from the talent agency Northern Exposure says Rhodes died of cancer at the Baillie House Hospice in Maple Ridge, B.C.
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The Winnipeg-born actor received numerous accolades, including a Gemini award for the role of Det. Leo Shannon in the drama Da Vinci’s Inquest in 2002, and a Gemini Earle Grey Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2006.
Rhodes was also recognized by the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame with a star on Granville Street’s Star Walk in Vancouver.
BSG creator Ronald D. Moore expressed his condolences about Rhodes’ passing on Twitter, as did BSG star Aaron Douglas.
Rhodes’ BSG character, Doc Cottle, was a no-nonsense physician who would smoke cigarettes while treating patients, and could always be counted on for dispensing advice.
Fellow actor Yannick Bisson (Murdoch Mysteries) mourned his passing as well.
Rhodes, who joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as an airman-mechanic before settling into his career as an actor, was arguably most well-known in the U.S. for his role as the dim-witted escaped con Dutch in the ABC soap opera spoof Soap.
He studied at the Manitoba Theatre Centre and was a member of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School of Canada in 1963.
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He made his professional debut on stage at Stratford Theatre as Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar Named Desire before he became a contract player for Universal Pictures in the U.S., where he landed television roles on Bonanza, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Cheers, Golden Girls and The Young and the Restless.
Rhodes is survived by his wife, Sarah, his daughter and his son.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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