The actor known to MacGyver fans for his role of Dr Zito has died.
Confirmed via an Instagram post from his son, Mark, who noted that he and his family had spent the day with their father who was happy and laughing, although not able to speak.
Later that evening he was rushed to hospital where he died at 6:30pm. The Instagram post was accompanied by a picture taken earlier in the day of his father resting with family in the background.
Born William Morgan Sheppard to Anglo-Irish parents in London, UK, Morgan graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and went on to become an Associate Artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company for 12 years. Before starting his screen career on 60’s British television which eventually lead to him moving to American TV in the mid 80’s.
Sheppard first appeared on MacGyver in the fourth season episode ‘Deadly Dreams‘ where he played the psychotic Dr. Zito. The episode seemed to draw inspiration from The Silence Of The Lambs following the dark psychotic thriller genre with Zito being the main antagonist of the episode. Two seasons later he would reprise his Zito role in the episode ‘Lesson In Evil’ which showed an even darker side to the character as he sets out to exact revenge on MacGyver for catching him in the Deadly Dreams episode.
His son, Mark Sheppard, carried on the family association with MacGyver and Zito when he played Dr. Zito in the MacGyver reboot episode Cigar Cutter.
Morgan was 86 and is survived by his wife, son and granddaughter
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