Pat John, an actor on the long-running Canadian television show “The Beachcombers,” has died at age 69.
John, a member of the Shíshálh First Nation in Sechelt, BC, was one of the first Indigenous actors to play a contemporary character on Canadian television and began in his late teens.
He played the role of Jesse Jim, a young business partner with the main character of the show, Nick Adonidas, played by Bruno Gerussi. They were trunk saviors of the series that became a national hit and won an international audience during its 18 years, ending in 1990.
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Co-star Jackson Davies, who played an RCMP agent, says John suffered health problems in recent years and died Wednesday.
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Davies says John had a natural capacity for action and his role as an Indigenous character in a modern setting, rather than a historical one, marked Canadian culture.
“I think we never thought,‘ Oh, we’re making a statement here, ’or maybe I was too naive,” Davies said Thursday.
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“It was a show about this kid who was indigenous and ends up associating with this Greek immigrant … and being a log savior.”
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Later, other Indigenous actors joined the show, which never tried to hide the fact that it was Canadian. It was filmed in Gibsons, BC, where the fictional Molly’s Reach restaurant later became a veritable restaurant and tourist attraction.
John had a warm smile and calm demeanor, Davies said. The two have been in close contact in recent years.
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“Obviously we would talk about the show. But we would also talk about life, where he was in his life, where I was in my life, our struggles, things like that. And he was a great listener and he laughed really well. “
John’s acting career came to an end after her “Beachcombers” career, except for a series of reunions in 2002.
There was no immediate word on the cause of his death.
© 2022 The Canadian Press