General Hospital and Knots Landing star Doug Sheehan dies at 75

General Hospital and Knots Landing star Doug Sheehan dies at 75

The late Doug Sheehan was all over the television dial in the 1980s and 1990s, with roles including Knots Landing, Clueless, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Doug Sheehan, the actor who brought Joe Kelly to life on General Hospital, passed away on June 29 at age 75 with his wife by his side, according to Kane Funeral Home in Wyoming. No cause of death is known at this time.

Sheehan came onto the television scene in 1978 with a small role on the hit primetime series Charlie's Angels. The next year, he landed his GH role and played lawyer Joe Kelly from 1979 to 1982. Joe's father and stepmother were Paddy and Rose Kelly, the owners of Kelly's Diner, which was renamed Bobbie's earlier this year. Joe romanced both Bobbie and Heather during his time in Port Charles. The actor picked up a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

After Sheehan's time on daytime soaps ended, he moved to the primetime soap world, playing Ben Gibson on the Dallas spin-off Knots Landing. Sheehan remained on Knots until 1988. Ben was married to Valene after her marriage to Gary Ewing ended. The character left town for a job and mysteriously never returned.

Love General Hospital, B&B, DAYS or other soaps? Join the conversation on our SC boards! Click here to connect with fans and dive into discussions now

His next stop was the sitcom world, where he starred on the NBC series Day by Day. His co-stars included Courtney Thorne Smith (Alison Parker, Melrose Place) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine Benes, Seinfeld).

By the 1990s, Sheehan was a familiar face to primetime series audiences as he landed guest roles on a variety of shows, including MacGuyver, Dear John, Columbo, and Diagnosis Murder. From 1997 to 1999, Sheehan starred in the TV version of the movie Clueless. According to IMDb, Sheehan's last role was on Sabrina the Teenage Witch more than 20 years ago.

Sheehan is survived by his wife of more than 40 years, Cate Albert.

Do you remember Doug Sheehan as Joe Kelly on GH? What are your favorite memories? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

Enjoyed this article? Join the conversation in our General Hospital forum! Click here to connect with fans and dive into discussions now.

comment icon
Comment
Edited by Abdul Rehman Khairdi