Alan Scarfe, ‘Lethal Weapon 3’ and ‘Double Impact’ Actor, Passes Away at 77
Alan Scarfe, the British-Canadian actor famous for his characters in Lethal Weapon 3 and Double Impact, died at the age of 77. According to his recent obituary, he passed away on April 28 following a battle with colon cancer at his home in Longueuil, Quebec.
Scarfe was born in 1946 in Harpenden, England, and their family moved to Canada. He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art from 1964 to 1966 and worked as an associate director at Everyman Theatre in Liverpool (1967–68). After that, he performed over 100 roles as a classical stage actor in two decades across theaters in Europe, the U.S., and Canada.
During an interview with The Sci-Fi World in 2007, he said, “I wanted to be a great classical actor in the long tradition of Burbage, Garrick, Kean, Booth, Olivier,” and continued, “Forty-five years ago when I began, it was still possible to think in such a romantic, idealistic way.”
He debuted in the 1963 film ‘The Bitter Ash’, and after that, he appeared in many films, including Cathy’s Curse, The Wars, The Bay Boy, Overnight, and more. He appeared as Romulans Tokath in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991), a commander in the Romulan military. He also appeared as Admiral Mendak in the 1993 episodes of the same show. He was later cast as Magistrate Augris in Star Trek: Voyager.
In a 2007 interview, he was asked about his appearance in sci-fi films. He said, “Science fiction on film and television, especially if you are playing some kind of alien character with fantastic make-up, is great for actors with a strong stage background.”
He continued, “The productions need that kind of size and intensity of performance. You can’t really mumble if you’re a Klingon.”
He appeared opposite Jean Claude Van Damme in the action film Double Impact. Then he landed on 1992’s Lethal Weapon 3 in the role of internal affairs chief Herman Walters.
He played the character of Dr. Bradley Talmadge, a member of the National Security Agency, in the science fiction series Seven Days on all 66 episodes, which ran for three seasons from 1998 to 2001.
Scarfe has received numerous awards in his career, including the Genie Award (1985), the Jessie Award (2005), and the Austin Fantastic Fest Jury Prize (2006). He also got the Vancouver Film Critics Circle honorary award for lifetime achievement.
In addition to acting, Scarfe wrote some novels, including The Revelation of Jack and Ripper (2017), The Demons of 9/11, and The Mask of the Holy Spirit.
He was married to actress Barbara March for 40 years, from 1979 to 2019, when she died from cancer at 65.