Actor Art Evans, best known for his role as Leslie Barnes in Die Hard 2, has died. Evans “passed away peacefully” while “surrounded by family” on Saturday, Dec. 21, his publicist Erica Huntzinger confirmed to Variety. A rep added to Deadline that the actor died of diabetes, “a condition he courageously managed for many years.” He was 82.
“Art was not only an incredible actor but a devoted husband, friend, and source of light to everyone who knew him,” Evans’ wife, Babe Evans, said in a statement. “His laughter, passion, and love of life will be deeply missed. While our hearts are heavy, we celebrate the legacy of joy and inspiration he leaves behind.”
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Born Arthur James Evans in Berkeley, California on March 27, 1942, Evans’ career spanned 50 years, during which he accumulated more than 120 credits in film and television. He made his acting debut at Frank Silvera’s Theater of Being in Los Angeles in The Amen Corner, which later went to Broadway in 1965. In the years that followed, Evans appeared in numerous uncredited roles before landing his first credited onscreen role in a 1976 episode of Chico and the Man.
In 1984, he co-starred in the blockbuster murder mystery A Soldier’s Story. He co-starred in the film alongside Adolph Caesar and Denzel Washington as Private James Wilkie. He is also well-remembered for his portrayal of Leslie Barnes, an air traffic control tower employee who helps Bruce Willis’ John McClane at Dulles International Airport, in Die Hard 2, the 1990 follow-up to Die Hard.
Evan’s other big screen credits include Death Wish (1974), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), The In-Laws (1979), The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979), Ruthless People (1986), Native Son (1986), and The Story of Us (1999). He also played a victim in John Carpenter’s 1983 horror flick Christine, based on the novel by Stephen King, and starred Detective Lennox in the vampire horror movie Fright Night in 1985.
On the small screen, Evans appeared in shows including M*A*S*H, The Fall Guy, Hill Street Blues, In the Heat of the Night, Doogie Howser M.D., Mad About You, Family Matters, Walker Texas Ranger, The X-Files, Monk, Everybody Hates Chris, Last Man Standing, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
Evans’ talent reps LyNea Bell and Charleen McGuire remembered him as “a remarkable talent who touched many lives with his work. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”
Evans is survived by his wife, Babe, and their son Ogadae Evans.
