Tom Troupe, TV and Stage Actor Who Appeared in ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Cheers,’ Dies at 97

Tom Troupe, a stage and TV actor who appeared in “Star Trek,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Cheers,” died Sunday morning at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 97.

Troupe’s death was confirmed by his PR reps.

Throughout his career, Troupe appeared in more than 75 popular series, including “The Fugitive,” “Mission: Impossible,” “The Wild, Wild West,” “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” “Cagney & Lacey,” “CHiPs,” “Knots Landing,” “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” “This Is the Life,” “Fraiser” and “Archie Bunker’s Place.”

On the film side, Troupe’s credits include “The Big Fisherman,” “The Devil’s Brigade,” “Kelly’s Heroes,” “Summer School” and “My Own Private Idaho.”

Born in Kansas City, Mo., Troupe began acting in local theaters before moving to New York City in 1948. After serving in the Korean War, he made his Broadway debut in 1957 playing Peter van Daan in “The Diary of Ann Frank” alongside Joseph Schildkraut. He relocated to Los Angeles in 1958, where he began his career in TV and film.

Also on stage, he co-starred with his wife, Carole Cook, in productions of “The Gin Game,” “The Lion in Winter” and “Fathers Day.” Other stage credits include the national tour of “Same Time Next Year” with Barbara Rush, the Broadway run of “Romantic Comedy” with Mia Farrow and his one-man play “The Diary of a Madman.

Troupe is survived by his son Christopher Troupe, his daughter-in-law Becky Coulter, his granddaughter Ashley Troupe and his nieces and nephews. Cook, his wife, died in 2023 of heart failure at age 98.