Confirming his father's passing at the age of 86, Mark Sheppard recalls the last day he spent with the actor before the former was rushed to the hospital in Los Angeles.
- Jan 9, 2019
AceShowbiz - "Star Trek" actor William Morgan Sheppard has died at the age of 86.
The British thespian, who played different characters in two "Star Trek" films and episodes of the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Voyager", passed away at a hospital in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 06, his son Mark Sheppard confirmed on Instagram.
"We went to spend some time with my father today," he wrote in a touching caption alongside a picture of his family visiting William in hospital. "Though he couldn't speak, we held hands, he laughed and was so happy to see us. We left and came home. A good day. He was rushed to hospital and passed at 6:30pm, my mother by his side. I am so grateful that he didn't have to suffer any longer. Thank you for all your kind thoughts, love and prayers."
The 54-year-old, who is also an actor and followed his dad into science-fiction with roles in "Battlestar Galactica" and "Firefly", as well as playing the demon Crowley in "Supernatural", did not reveal the cause of his father's death.
William first appeared in "The Next Generation" episode The Schizoid Man as Dr. Ira Graves, a scientist who attempts to cheat death by transferring his memories and personality into a machine, in 1989. He subsequently bagged a small role in the 1991 film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country", played an alien in a 1999 episode of Voyager, and had an uncredited part in 2009's "Star Trek".
Known professionally as W. Morgan Sheppard or Morgan Sheppard, he also appeared in films like "Cry Freedom", "The Prestige" and "Transformers", and was a U.S. TV regular, playing small roles in "Frasier", "Mad Men", "Babylon 5", and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia".
The late star is survived by his wife, son and his grandchildren Isabella, Will and Max.
