Nicholas Pryor was an actor with over 170 credits to his name, best known for long stints on “Beverly Hills, 90210” and the “General Hospital” spinoff, “Port Charles,” as well as for playing Tom Cruise’s father in “Risky Business.”
- Died: October 7, 2024 (Who else died on October 7?)
- Details of death: Died in Wilmington, North Carolina of cancer at the age of 89.
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Nicholas Pryor’s legacy
Baltimore-born Pryor began acting on television in 1958, appearing on soap opera “The Brighter Day,” an appearance that launched a career spanning eight decades. He worked continuously over the years, racking up over 170 acting credits and appearing on screen as recently as 2021, when he was in two episodes of Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
Pryor began to become a recognizable actor in the 1980s, when he played a sick passenger in the 1980 comedy “Airplane!,” Tom Cruise’s father in 1983’s “Risky Business,” and Robert Downey Jr.’s father in “Less Than Zero.” Other films featuring him include “Damien: Omen II” and “The Falcon and the Snowman.”
However, Pryor was better known to TV audiences, where his credits include “Murder, She Wrote,” “Party of Five,” “NYPD Blue,” “L.A. Law,” and many other shows. His two most notable roles were playing Milton Arnold, chancellor of California University, in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” a role he returned to 26 times, and appearing as Victor Collins in nearly 350 episodes of the “General Hospital” spinoff, “Port Charles.”
Tributes to Nicholas Pryor
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
