John Dye
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
John Dye specialized in playing leading men with an agenda but whom he imbues with a light touch and much humanity. He enjoyed his longest run as Andrew, the Angel of Death, on the CBS series "Touched By an Angel." The role was originally a recurring one when he first began appearing 1995, but he was made a regular at the start of the third season. The Mississippi-born Dye was bitten with the acting bug after playing the eldest Von Trapp son in a high school production of "The Sound of Music." During his first summer break from college, he went to New York City, where he auditioned for and was offered a place in a touring classical theater repertory company. However, because it would conflict with his schooling, Dye declined the offer and returned to Memphis State (now the University of Memphis). A Judd Nelson teen movie called "Making the Grade" (1984) was about to film in the area and Dye won his first professional role playing one of Nelson's prep school buddies. He would later work alongside Nelson again as one of the members of "The Billionaire's Boys Club," a successful 1987 NBC miniseries. Following his brush with moviemaking, Dye won his first screen lead in "Campus Man" (1987), playing an entrepreneurial rogue who pays for his college tuition by coaxing the hunky guys on campus to pose for a calendar. In 1989, he played a UCLA student living in the school's bell tower in "Big Man on Campus," but after a few more roles, including "The Best of the Best" (1989) and "Perfect Weapon" (1991), Dye segued into a career on television. His first regular series work was during the 1989-1990 season of "Tour of Duty" (CBS), when he was cast as a pacifist medic trying to save lives before the battles even begin. Dye played an optimistic medical student juggling the demands of school, working as a bartender and trying to be a single parent on "Jack's Place" (CBS, 1992-93) and was an opportunistic womanizer on the short-lived summer series "Hotel Malibu" (CBS, 1994). In 1995, John Dye landed the role of Andrew on "Touched By an Angel." It was first a recurring role, but he was promoted to a regular by the third season and became an audience favorite, starring opposite Valerie Bertinelli and Roma Downey on the popular spiritual-centric series. Though he would never again reach the heights of popularity afforded him by the CBS series, he continued to work sporadically in low budget features and TV movies throughout his run. Sadly, Dye passed away after suffering a massive heart attack in San Francisco, CA on Jan. 10, 2011. He was just 47 years old.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1984
Landed first film role as Skip in "Making the Grade"
1986
Starred alongside Virginia Madsen and Cynthia Gibb in the comedy film "Modern Girls"
1987
First leading role in the film "Campus Man" as Todd Barrett
1987
Teamed with Judd Nelson in the NBC TV-movie "Billionaire Boys Club"
1989
Cast as Private Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury in the last season of CBS' "Tour of Duty"
1989
Starred alongside James Earl Jones and Eric Roberts in the martial-arts drama "Best of the Best"
1992
Co-starred in the short-lived CBS series "Jack's Place"
1994
Played the recurring role of Andrew the 'Angel of Death' on CBS' "Touched by an Angel"; made a regular cast member in the third season
1994
Played a womanizer on the CBS summer series "Hotel Malibu"
2000
Starred in the TV-movie "Once Upon a Christmas"
2001
Appeared in the sequel "Twice Upon a Christmas"
Family
Companions
