Pat John, the actor who played Jesse in The Beachcombers, has died

Pat John, best known for his role as the quiet, reliable Jesse Jim on CBC’s long-running drama The Beachcombers, has died.

John’s friend and former colleague Jackson Davis confirmed his death to CBC News on Thursday.

The actor died at noon Wednesday, “seeming more relaxed than he had been in a long time,” Davis wrote in a Facebook post announcing his death.

“He was funny, kind, and even though he didn’t get the credit he should have, he was also a very good actor. He had the greatest laugh, and my goal in life was to make him laugh, just to hear this.”

(Facebook)

John, a member of the Shíshálh Nation in Sechelt, British Columbia, was cast on The Beachcombers as a teenager.

In the following years, he created a new blueprint for local characters on the screen, avoiding outdated stereotypes and caricatures like Jesse.

The Beachcombers ran for 19 seasons, making it the second longest running Canadian television drama.

First broadcast in October 1972 – with over 350 episodes to follow – this autumn marks its 50th anniversary.

“I don’t think I would have ever considered being an actor if the Beachcombers hadn’t happened,” John said in a 2002 article printed by the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.

The show chronicles the coastal adventures of log salvager Nick Adonidas (Bruno Gerussi) and his beach combing partner, Jesse Jim, as they track down stray logs aboard their tug Persephone.

It was a hit from its second season and enjoyed another 15 as one of CBC’s highest-rated shows, helped by the fact that the cast – including John, Davies and Jerousi – was beloved by viewers in Canada and abroad.

The show is filmed and set in Gibsons, BC, putting BC on the map as a destination for film production and talent, one of the first shows to establish the province as Hollywood North.

LISTEN | Actor Jackson Davis shares memories of co-star Pat John:

BC Today22:40 We remember Beachcombers actor Pat John

Beachcombers actor Jackson Davis joins BC Today listeners to share memories of fellow shíshálh Nation member Pat John, who passed away this week.