Don Marshall was a well-known actor who appeared in several TV shows and movies, most notably as Lt. Boma in the original Star Trek series and as Dan Erickson in Land of the Giants. He died on October 30, 2016, at the age of 80, due to natural causes. Here are some details about his life and career, as well as the circumstances of his death.
Early Life and Education
Don Marshall was born on May 2, 1936, in San Diego, California, to Ernest and Alma Marshall. He had a twin brother named Douglas and two older sisters named Leola and Ernestine. He graduated from San Diego High School in 1954 and then enrolled in engineering at Los Angeles City College. However, he was encouraged by a friend to try acting and soon switched his major to theater arts. He also studied acting at the Bob Gist Dramatic Workshop and served in the army for two years.
Acting Career
Don Marshall made his professional debut in an uncredited role in the 1962 film The Interns. He then appeared in another uncredited role in the 1964 film Shock Treatment. His first credited role was in the CBS Repertoire Workshop episode “Great Gettin’ Up Mornin’”, where he played opposite Nichelle Nichols as a couple sending their children to a racially integrated school in the South.
He continued to guest star in various TV shows, such as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Fugitive, The Virginian, Daktari, Tarzan, and Bewitched. He also had recurring roles on Julia, where he played one of Diahann Carroll’s boyfriends, and The Lieutenant, where he played a marine officer.
His most famous role was as Lt. Boma on Star Trek, where he appeared in the episode “The Galileo Seven” in 1967. He was one of the crew members of a shuttlecraft that crash-landed on a hostile planet and had to survive against giant creatures and hostile natives. He was one of the few African-American actors to have a prominent role on the show at that time.
He also starred as Dan Erickson on Land of the Giants, a sci-fi show that ran from 1968 to 1970. He played one of the passengers of a spaceship that landed on a planet where everything was twelve times larger than normal. He was also one of the few African-American actors to have a leading role on a sci-fi show at that time.
He later appeared in films such as The Thing with Two Heads and Uptown Saturday Night, and TV shows such as The Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Little House on the Prairie, and Magnum P.I. His last acting role was in the 2016 film The Abduction of Jennifer Grayson.
Personal Life and Death
Don Marshall was married twice and had two children: a son named Donyale and a daughter named Dawn. He was also an avid golfer and tennis player. He often mentioned in interviews that he was working on a remake of Land of the Giants.
He died on October 30, 2016, in Los Angeles, California, due to natural causes. He was surrounded by his family and friends at the time of his death. His fellow Star Trek cast member BarBara Luna announced his death on Facebook and paid tribute to him as a “wonderful man” and a “great friend”.
Don Marshall will be remembered as a trailblazer for African-American actors in sci-fi and as a talented performer who brought life to many memorable characters.
