Dane Witherspoon
{{Short description|American actor (1957–2014)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dane Witherspoon
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Richard Dane Witherspoon
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1957|12|27}}
| birth_place = Denton, Texas, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|3|29|1957|12|27}}
| death_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S.
| resting_place=
| other_names =
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1981–1997
| children = 2
| spouse = {{plainlist|
- {{marriage|Robin Wright|1986|1988|reason=divorced}}
- {{marriage|Tracy K. Shaffer|1989|2011|reason=divorced}}
}}
}}
Dane Witherspoon (December 27, 1957 – March 29, 2014){{cite web |url=http://soapoperadigest.com/content/santa-barbara-alum-dead-56 |title=Santa Barbara alum dead at 56 |work=Soap Opera Digest |date=March 31, 2014 |access-date=March 31, 2014}} was an American actor who appeared in daytime TV soap operas Santa Barbara as Joe Perkins in 1984, and in Capitol as Tyler McCandless from 1985 to 1986.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UA1PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0gIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3219,2509062&dq=dane+witherspoon&hl=en |title=A Look At Dane Witherspoon |work=Toledo Blade |date=July 18, 1985}}{{cite news |first=Connie |last=Passalacqua |date=November 1, 1985 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-FpaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oEwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5307,23228&dq=dane+witherspoon&hl=en |title=Great Dane Finds New Home on Capitol |work=Waycross Journal-Herald |location=Waycross, Georgia |access-date=April 1, 2014}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IQQtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dQEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4715,640799&dq=dane+witherspoon&hl=en |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411013837/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IQQtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dQEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4715,640799&dq=dane+witherspoon&hl=en |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |title=Success of 'Santa Barbara' is up to Dane Witherspoon |work=Miami News |date=September 1, 1984 |access-date=April 1, 2014 }}
Early life and career
At age 19, he was the youngest student ever accepted by the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco, California, appearing in productions from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams. He performed one season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. After getting his acting degree from ACT, Witherspoon went to Hollywood where he landed small roles in The Waltons and Eight Is Enough.{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dane-witherspoon/credits/145919/ |title=Dane Witherspoon |work=TV Guide |access-date=April 25, 2020}}
In 1984, he made his soap opera debut as the original Joe Perkins on Santa Barbara. Three months later, Dane was replaced by Mark Arnold. Dane soon returned to daytime as Tyler McCandless on Capitol; he played this part from 1985 to 1986. His film credits include "Chameleons" in 1989, the part of Brad Yates in the movie Seedpeople in 1992, and in 1997 he played a part in the TV movie "Asteroid".{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118261/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm |title=Asteroid |work=IMDb |access-date=2019-09-13}}
Personal life
He met actress Robin Wright when they auditioned for Santa Barbara.{{cite web |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/P/Penn_Sean/1995/11/05/pf-760766.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130407143150/http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/P/Penn_Sean/1995/11/05/pf-760766.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=April 7, 2013 |title=Penn's Crossing |website=Jam.canoe.ca |date=November 5, 1995 |access-date=2014-03-31}} The two were married from 1986 to 1988. Witherspoon had two sons with his second wife, actress / playwright Tracy Shaffer.{{cite web |url=http://capridge.com/witherspoon.htm |title=Dane Witherspoon |website=Capridge.com |access-date=2014-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625011044/http://capridge.com/witherspoon.htm |archive-date=2013-06-25 |url-status=dead}}
Retirement and death
Although he continued to work as an actor for a few more years, Witherspoon eventually retired from the profession and lived in Denver, Colorado.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
He died on March 29, 2014, at age 56.{{cite web |last=Newcomb |first=Roger |url=http://www.welovesoaps.net/2014/03/dane-witherspoon-dead-at-56.html |title=Dane Witherspoon Dead at 56 |website=We Love Soaps |date=March 29, 2014 |access-date=March 31, 2014}}{{cite news |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/527494/santa-barbara-s-dane-witherspoon-dies-actor-was-robin-wright-s-first-husband |title=Santa Barbara's Dane Witherspoon Dies; Actor Was Robin Wright's First Husband |work=E! News |first=Natalie |last=Finn |date=April 1, 2014 |access-date=July 9, 2022}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0936757}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witherspoon, Dane}}
Category:American Conservatory Theater alumni
Category:American male soap opera actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:Male actors from Denver