‘ER’ and ‘The West Wing’ star John Aylward dies at 75

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John Aylward has died at age 75.

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The ‘ER’ star – who played Dr. Donald Anspaugh in the NBC medical series from 1996 to 2008 – passed away on Monday, his wife Mary Fields confirmed to his agent Mitchell K. Stubbs.

Stubbs paid tribute to Aylward, who was also known for playing former DNC chairman Barry Goodwin on ‘The West Wing’, describing him as a “dream client”.

“I was shocked. He was a wonderful actor and a phenomenal human being,” he told Deadline.

“He was a dream client, a friend and a dream person.”

Stubbs’ talent agency, MKS Talent Agency, also wrote on Twitter: “Received a devastating call from Mary Fields, John Aylward’s wife. This kind man and wonderful actor has left us. Very grateful to have known and worked with you, sir. RIP (sic)”

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Aylward was a regular in The Seattle Rep Theater for 15 years.

They tweeted: “We lost a beloved member of our family this week, with the passing of company member John Aylward. An accomplished and widely respected actor, John left an indelible mark on the theater community and on everyone he worked with over his long career. John, we will miss you dearly”

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Aylward also featured in drama series ‘Yellowstone’, playing Father Bob in two episodes, and he starred in an episode of ‘American Horror Story’, and two episodes of ‘Mad Men’ as Geoffrey Atherton.

He also had small parts in the likes of ‘The X-Files’, ‘Ally McBeal’, ‘3rd Rock from the Sun’, ‘Diagnosis Murder’, ‘Nip/Tuck’, and ‘Law Order’.

Gaming enthusiasts may remember the late star as the voice of Dr. Arne Magnusson in 2007 title ‘Half-Life 2: Episode Two’.

On the big screen, Aylward starred in 1998 movie ‘Armageddon’ as Dr. Banks, and he appeared opposite Ben Affleck in 2020 motion picture ‘The Way Back’, among many other film roles.