‘James at 15’ Actor Lance Kerwin Dies at 62

Actor Lance Kerwin has died. The performer, who is known for his work in shows like James at 15 and Salem’s Lot, was just 62 years old.

News of Kerwin’s death was reportedly revealed by his daughter Savanah, according to Variety. Kerwin died Tuesday, January 24, in San Clemente, California, and an autopsy is being conducted to determine a cause of death.

As previously stated, Kerwin was best known for his TV roles in James at 15 and the mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s supernatural Salem’s Lot, in which he played teen vampire hunter Mark Petrie. Initially beginning his career in the early 1970s, Kerwin made a name for himself as a child actor appearing in after-school specials like The Boy Who Drank Too Much.

Salem’s Lot (Credit: © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection)

Leading the series James at 15, Kerwin appeared in the show as James Hunter, who, after two seasons between 1977 and 1988, saw the title transformed into James at 16. Along with that and Salem’s Lot, Kerwin made television appearances throughout the years, playing parts in titles such as Emergency!, Gunsmoke, Wonder Woman, Murder, She Wrote, and The New Lassie.

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Meanwhile, he also featured in the 1995 film Outbreak alongside a cast that included Morgan Freeman, Renee Russo, Dustin Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, and Cuba Gooding Jr., among others. That was Kerwin’s last film role until 2022, when he appeared in the film The Wind & The Reckoning.

Following his initial run in acting, Kerwin reportedly went on to become a youth pastor. He is survived by his five children, Savanah, Fox, Terah, Kailani, and Justus.