Biography

Pete Duel was born Peter Ellstrom Deuel in Rochester, New York on 24 February 1940.  He was best known for his role as Hannibal Heyes in the comedy western Alias Smith and Jones which ran from January 1971, in which he co-starred with Ben Murphy.  Previous to ASJ he had a semi-regular role in the Gidget series (which starred Sally Field) in 1965 and a co-starring role with Judy Carne in the sitcom Love on a Rooftop in 1966.  In addition, he made numerous appearances as a guest star on other series - many in highly dramatic roles, demonstrating an entirely different side to his acting talents.  Most memorably, he appeared in The Virginian, Ironside, Marcus Welby MD, The FBI, The Name of the Game and The Psychiatrist.

He never married but had reasonably long term relationships with Jill Andre (a divorcee with children), Beth Griswold (with whom he set and then cancelled a wedding date), Kim Darby (his co-star in the film Generation) and Diane Ray (a PA who he met while filming The Psychiatrist and who was his girlfriend at the time of his death).

He was a man of wide and varied interests.  A cause he felt passionately about was ecology, which probably stemmed from his great love of nature and the outdoors.  In 1970 he narrated an ecology documentary (Ah Man See What You've Done) for free. That same year he bought 20 acres of land in the High Sierras.  He owned three dogs, wrote poetry, enjoyed sketching, loved music ("a good violin concerto turns me to the wall") and reading (the poetry of Dylan Thomas, political essays, the complete works of Shakespeare and Thoreau’s writings on nature) and enjoyed fast cars and racing.  In 1968 he became involved with the campaign of anti-war president Gene McCarthy.  

He died in the early hours of 31 December 1971 of a gunshot wound to the head.  The official verdict was "probable suicide".  Although nothing is certain, he described himself as someone who had suffered depression and it seems he also battled alcohol problems.

In more detail ...

• Childhood  

• Career before Alias Smith and Jones  

• Alias Smith and Jones  

• Career in Video Clips  

• Family Life, Home and Friends

• What kind of Man?

• Problems and Death  

Compiled from various press articles and interviews