Actor Pat John, known for the classic Canadian comedy-drama series “The Beachcombers,” has died, according to one of his colleagues.
John was a teenager when he was cast as Jesse Jim on the long-running CBC program and went on to appear in hundreds of episodes as well as the 2002 TV movie The New Beachcombers.
He died on Wednesday at the age of 69.
John had been in poor health in recent years, but at the time of his death he was sitting outdoors and “looked more relaxed than he had looked in a long time,” co-worker Jackson Davis wrote in an emotional Facebook post.
“He was funny, kind, and even though he didn’t get the credit he should have, he was also a very good actor,” added Davis, who plays RCMP officer John Constable in the series.
“He had the most magnificent laugh, and my aim in life was to make him laugh just to hear it. Somehow, when PJ laughed, the world was OK again.’
John was a member of the shíshálh First Nation and became one of the first Indigenous actors to play a contemporary character on Canadian television.
As Jim, he plays the young business partner of Nick Adonidas, the protagonist of The Beachcombers, played by Bruno Gerusi. The series was loved by many Canadians and also gained an international audience during its 18-year run, which ended in 1990.
Decades after the series ended, Davis said he kept in touch with John almost weekly until his death.
“I’m so glad we always ended our conversations with ‘I love you PJ’ and ‘I love you Jackson,'” he wrote.
With files from The Canadian Press
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