Randall England, General Hospital Villain Jack Slater, Dies at 75
Randall England, who played the hated General Hospital villain Jack Slater in 1984 and 1985, has died aged 75. His family said he died on September 25 after a battle with oesophageal cancer, and remembered him as a devoted grandfather.
Randall England, the 80’s soap star Randall England fans knew as General Hospital villain Jack Slater, died on September 25 at age 75 after a battle with oesophageal cancer, his family said in an obituary.
He played Slater from 1984 to 1985. Slater is widely considered one of the most hated villains in TV soap history. According to a death notice, England "passed away peacefully, surrounded by family."
The man behind Jack Slater
Slater first arrived in Port Charles posing as a film producer. His real agenda was to cause havoc in town, including as a jewellery thief. England stayed on as the show's main villain for a year, until the character was killed in a shootout.
He shared scenes with soap heavyweights including June Lockhart and Anthony Geary during the run.
England was born in 1951 in Oklahoma City. He attended the University of Oklahoma, where he pitched for the Sooners, and worked as a model in campaigns for brands including Michelob and Viceroy cigarettes.
Modeling took him to New York. There he studied acting with Kim Stanley and Stella Adler and appeared on stage in All My Sons, Three Sisters and The Glass Menagerie. He then moved to California.
A five-decade screen career
His early screen work included the 1978 TV movie Ruby and Oswald, a drama about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Later credits included Dallas, The Young and the Restless and Baywatch, plus the films Cat City and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. He also had a cameo in Maroon 5's Sugar music video.
England wrote and produced music under the stage name RAE. At the time of his death he was working on a documentary about the life of Stanley, his former acting teacher.
What his family said
His family wrote that he "lived a life full of interesting people and stories." They described him as "charming, loving, and generous with his time and energy."
"Randall was someone people could count on," the obituary said. His favorite role, the family added, was being "pappaw" to his grandchildren.
England is survived by his daughter, Micaela Reed; his son-in-law, Sam Reed; his grandchildren, Katherine and Julian; his sister, Lina Baker; and his mother, Catherine Burgess.
