Peter Jason Dies: ‘Deadwood’ Actor And Favorite Of John Carpenter And Walter Hill Was 80

deadline.com:

Peter Jason, a prolific character best known for his role as Deadwood‘s dim-witted card dealer Con Stapleton and numerous performances in the films of John Carpenter and Walter Hill, died Thursday.

He was 80. A cause of death was not immediately available. His death was announced Thursday evening by, among other colleagues, Halloween director Carpenter, who called him “one of the great character actors in cinema.” Wrote Carpenter on X, “He was a dear friend and I’ll miss him terribly.” Other friends and colleagues also shared the news.

Actor Billy Zane wrote on X, “My dear, dear friend, the brightest light, most generous soul and gregarious of men, the supremely talented and kind Peter Jason has left the set,” and Matthew Asner, son of the late actor Ed Asner, wrote on Facebook, “I am heartbroken.

My dear friend and my father’s best friend, Peter Jason, passed away today. What a loss He was truly one of the sweetest people on the planet.