The actor also appeared in Dallas, The Young and the Restless and Baywatch, earned recognition on the American stage and portrayed Bill Clinton in a 2003 theatrical production. He died of esophageal cancer at his Los Angeles home

Jack Slater was a jewel thief, a killer and one of the most recognizable villains on General Hospital. He was also the character that brought actor Randall England to the attention of millions of television viewers, with his red cowboy boots becoming one of his most distinctive trademarks. England died in Los Angeles on September 25, aged 75, following a battle with esophageal cancer. His family announced his death in an obituary released in recent days.

England played Slater between November 1984 and June 1985, in a storyline that brought him into conflict with Robert Scorpio, the detective portrayed by Tristan Rogers. The character’s criminal career eventually ended in a shootout, but his brief appearance left a lasting impression on the soap opera’s audience.

His career, however, extended far beyond daytime television. England appeared in several prominent American series, including Dallas, The Young and the Restless and Baywatch. In 2015, he also made an appearance in the music video for Maroon 5’s hit song “Sugar”, adding another unexpected credit to a career that moved between television, film, theater and music.

For much of his professional life, England remained closely connected to the stage. He played President Bill Clinton in the 2003 production of Hillary & Monica in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and appeared in theatrical productions of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie and Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters. At the time of his death, he was working on a documentary about the life and career of Kim Stanley, one of the acting teachers who had shaped his professional development.

From baseball and modeling to Hollywood

Born Randy Alan England on September 22, 1951, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, he grew up with interests that initially had little to do with acting. After graduating from Memorial High School, he attended the University of Oklahoma, where he also played baseball as a pitcher for the Sooners.

Before turning to performance, England worked as a model, taking part in campaigns and international assignments that brought him to London, Zurich, Milan and Los Angeles. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was increasingly focused on acting, studying with two influential teachers, Kim Stanley and Stella Adler.

His first screen appearance came in 1981, when he landed a small part in Looker, the science-fiction thriller written and directed by Michael Crichton and starring Albert Finney. It was the beginning of a career that would eventually bring him recurring television work, film appearances and substantial theatrical roles.

England’s choice to pursue theater was particularly significant. His work on stage included productions of classical and contemporary plays, while his portrayal of Clinton in Hillary & Monica demonstrated his willingness to take on politically recognizable figures. His interest in the craft also remained evident in his work on the documentary about Stanley, his former teacher, which was still in production when he died.

A familiar presence in Beverly Hills

England had lived in Beverly Hills for more than 40 years. In remembering him, his family evoked not only his professional achievements but also the familiar figure he had become in the city: an actor driving through its streets in a vintage BMW, invariably wearing dark Ray-Ban sunglasses.

He is survived by his daughter, Micaela; his son-in-law, Sam; his grandchildren, Katherine and Julian; his mother, Catherine; and his sister, Linda, as well as nieces, nephews and other relatives. He was divorced from his wife, Jennifer.

The family has invited those wishing to honor his memory to consider donations to the Esophageal Cancer Action Network, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of esophageal cancer and supporting research into the disease.

(Photo: © AndKronos)