Nicholas Pryor, ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ actor, dies at 89

Actor Nicholas Pryor, known for roles in films like Risky Business and Less Than Zero, plus TV’s Beverly Hills, 90210 and several soap operas, has died. He was 89.

Pryor’s publicist confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that he died from cancer on Monday, Oct. 7.

Earning his first professional acting credits in the ’50s, Pryor worked on more than 170 projects that ranged from soap operas, such as Port Charles, The Edge of Night, Dallas, and All My Children, to hour-long dramas such as Little House on the Prairie, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue.

In the 1980s, he had a memorable role in Risky Business, in which he played the father of Tom Cruise‘s main character, Joel Goodsen. He was also cast as the father of Robert Downey Jr. in 1987’s Less Than Zero.

Pryor joined teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210, as California University’s Chancellor Milton Arnold in 1994. His character was the father of Clare Arnold (Kathleen Robertson), who joined the series as the gang went to college.

The Baltimore native continued to work regularly until 2021, when he appeared in the Marvel series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the horror sequel Halloween Kills.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that he sent a letter to the publication to be opened after his death. It read: “Nicholas Pryor was enormously grateful to have been, for nearly 70 years, a working actor.”

In the hours after his death was announced, General Hospital actor Jon Lindstrom, who played his son on General Hospital spinoff Port Charles, paid tribute, citing Pryor’s many credits.

“He shared the screen with the likes of #JackNicholson #KurtRussell #EwanMcGregor Too many to name really. He starred on #Broadway and delivered terrific work in Film and TV for over 60 years. But to me, he was my friend,” Lindstrom wrote. “One of the best I’ve ever had. He was a mentor, a sounding board, a trusted confidant, and even a father-figure beyond, yes, playing my own father on #GH and #PortCharles. And he was one of the funniest people you could hope to spend time with over a bottle of good wine and a great meal. I will miss him terribly, as will his beautiful wife Christina, his daughter Stacey, and his two grandchildren, Gus and Avril. R.I.P.”

According to his publicist, the veteran actor is survived by his “dear wife Christina Belford, his daughter Stacey Pryor and his grandchildren Auguste and Avril Bas.”