Chad Everett, the actor who starred as handsome and sensitive Doctor Joe Gannon on CBS’ Medical Center, died yesterday of lung cancer after an 18 month battle. He passed away at his home in Los Angeles and was 76 years old.

Everett’s career spanned across four decades but will be best remembered for Medical Center. Veteran actor James Daly played Doctor Paul Lochner and the two worked together for seven seasons. The TV series ran for 171 episodes, from 1969 until 1976 on CBS — making it one of the longest-running medical dramas in TV history.

He later guest-starred on numerous TV shows like Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Melrose Place, Without a Trace, and Murder, She Wrote. He was most recently seen on an episode of Castle. Everett was also chosen by the family of John Wayne to be the voice of the animatronic figure of the legendary actor in Disney MGM Studios’ Great Movie Ride in Orlando.

Film credits include Get Yourself a College Girl, Made in Paris, The Singing Nun, The Firechasers, The Jigsaw Murders, and Gus Van Sant’s Psycho remake.

Everett is survived by two daughters and six grandchildren. Actress Shelby Grant, his wife for 45 years, died a year ago.

What do you think? How will you remember the work of Chad Everett?