Every Major Actor from ‘Lethal Weapon’ Movies Who Died

The ‘Lethal Weapon’ films brought together a deep bench of performers across four movies, from recurring police brass and scene-stealing specialists to unforgettable villains. Many of these faces became part of the series’ identity, showing up from the station house to the final showdown and making the action feel lived in.

This roundup collects the major actors from the ‘Lethal Weapon’ movies who have passed away. You will find who they played, which film or films they appeared in, and the key facts about their lives and careers, including when they died and what else they were known for.

Mitchell Ryan

Mitchell Ryan played General Peter McAllister in ‘Lethal Weapon’, the retired special forces commander who ran the mercenary outfit known as Shadow Company. He died on March 4, 2022 in Los Angeles at age 88 of heart failure.

Outside the franchise he worked steadily in film and television for decades, including a lead role on ‘Dharma & Greg’ and appearances in ‘High Plains Drifter’ and ‘Magnum Force’. He trained in theater before shifting to screen work, which helped shape his authoritative presence in crime and action stories.

Mary Ellen Trainor

Mary Ellen Trainor appeared in all four films as Dr. Stephanie Woods, the LAPD psychiatrist who evaluated Martin Riggs and regularly sparred with him at the station. She died on May 20, 2015 at age 62 due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

Her screen credits included ‘The Goonies’, ‘Die Hard’, and ‘Forrest Gump’, and she frequently worked with Richard Donner and Robert Zemeckis. She began her career in broadcast journalism and moved into acting, becoming one of the era’s most recognizable character actors.

Joss Ackland

Joss Ackland portrayed Arjen Rudd in ‘Lethal Weapon 2’, the South African diplomat who fronted the film’s smuggling operation. He died on November 19, 2023 at age 95.

Ackland’s long career spanned stage and screen with standout roles in ‘The Hunt for Red October’, ‘The Mighty Ducks’, and ‘White Mischief’. He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and worked extensively in theater before building a prolific filmography.

Derrick O’Connor

Derrick O’Connor played Pieter Vorstedt in ‘Lethal Weapon 2’, the ruthless enforcer who served as Arjen Rudd’s right hand. He died on June 29, 2018 in Santa Barbara at age 77 from pneumonia.

He collaborated several times with director Terry Gilliam, appearing in ‘Time Bandits’, ‘Brazil’, and ‘Jabberwocky’. A veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he brought physical precision and an imposing restraint to his film roles.

Steve Kahan

Steve Kahan appeared across the series as Captain Ed Murphy, the LAPD superior who kept Riggs and Murtaugh on task amid the chaos. He died on August 4, 2019 at age 79.

Kahan often worked with his cousin, director Richard Donner, beginning with a role in ‘Superman’. He built a steady career in crime and action films and became a familiar figure to fans of the franchise through his recurring presence at the precinct.

Kim Chan

Kim Chan played Uncle Benny in ‘Lethal Weapon 4’, the Chinatown crime boss who crossed paths with Riggs and Murtaugh during their trafficking investigation. He died on October 5, 2008 in New York City.

His screen work stretched from ‘The King of Comedy’ to ‘The Fifth Element’ and ‘Shanghai Knights’, along with the TV series ‘Kung Fu: The Legend Continues’. He worked in Hollywood for decades and often portrayed dignified elders and underworld figures with equal credibility.

Jack Kehler

Jack Kehler appeared in ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ as George Proody, a State Department official drawn into the case’s jurisdictional tangle. He died on May 7, 2022 in Los Angeles at age 75 following complications from leukemia.

Kehler’s résumé included roles in ‘The Big Lebowski’, ‘The Man in the High Castle’, and ‘Waterworld’. He was a prolific character actor whose film and television credits spanned more than three decades and a wide range of genres.

Alan Scarfe

Alan Scarfe played Internal Affairs chief Herman Walters in ‘Lethal Weapon 3’, the official who scrutinized Riggs and Murtaugh as they chased a corrupt ex-cop. He died on April 28, 2024 at age 77 from colon cancer.

Scarfe balanced film and television with an extensive theater career, earning awards in Canada and appearing in projects like ‘Double Impact’ and ‘Star Trek’. He also wrote fiction later in life, publishing novels while continuing to act.

Richard Libertini

Richard Libertini appeared in ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ as Rabbi Gelb, who performed an informal ceremony for Riggs and Lorna before the birth of their child. He died on January 7, 2016 in Venice, California at age 82 from cancer.

Libertini was a celebrated comic character actor with credits in ‘Fletch’, ‘All of Me’, and ‘The In-Laws’. He worked across film, television, and stage for nearly five decades and was known for memorable turns in small but pivotal scenes.

Gregory Millar

Gregory Millar played Tyrone in ‘Lethal Weapon 3’, the street boss who tried to buy stolen armor-piercing ammunition from Jack Travis. He died on February 16, 2003 in Los Angeles.

Millar appeared in features and television through the 1990s, including ‘Uncaged’, ‘Why Me’, and guest spots on network dramas. His role in the third film tied the precinct investigation to the local arms market and helped drive the plot toward Travis.

Don Gordon

Don Gordon appears in ‘Lethal Weapon’ as a uniformed officer at the early crime scene tied to Amanda Hunsaker. A veteran character actor with decades of film and television credits, he brought procedural authenticity to the chaos around the investigators and the responding units. His brief turn is one of many small roles in the film that populate the LAPD world Riggs and Murtaugh move through.

Gordon died in April 2017 in Los Angeles at the age of 90. Beyond his appearance in ‘Lethal Weapon’, he was widely recognized for memorable supporting work across crime and thriller projects, and his passing was noted for closing the book on a long on-screen career that stretched from classic television to modern action cinema.

Jimmie F. Skaggs

Jimmie F. Skaggs plays one of the drug dealers in the Christmas tree lot scene in ‘Lethal Weapon’. He’s the one Riggs confronts after revealing he’s a cop, a sequence that quickly turns into a firefight and sets the tone for Riggs’s reckless methods during the early investigation.

Skaggs died in July 2004 at the age of 59. His long list of credits includes numerous film and television roles, and his appearance in ‘Lethal Weapon’ is frequently cited among his many crime-genre performances.

Kenny Endoso

Kenny Endoso shows up in ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ as a money courier tied to the Chinatown underworld Riggs and Murtaugh probe. A veteran stunt performer who also took on on-camera roles, he’s part of the ensemble that populates the criminal network targeted by the task force in the sequel’s counterfeit-smuggling storyline.

Endoso died in August 2010 at the age of 70. His screen legacy spans dozens of action titles, and his face surfaces in ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ among the familiar stable of precision drivers and fight players who doubled as character actors.

Bob Harks

Bob Harks appears uncredited in ‘Lethal Weapon’ as a priest, another of the quick but identifiable faces that pass through the movie’s crowded Los Angeles settings. His presence adds to the sense that Riggs and Murtaugh’s case touches every corner of the city, from churches to crime scenes.

Harks died in December 2010. A prolific background and character performer, he logged appearances in numerous films, and ‘Lethal Weapon’ is among the popular titles where attentive viewers still spot him.

Gregory Millar

Gregory Millar shows up in ‘Lethal Weapon 3’ as a probation-department official connected to the film’s focus on stolen police weapons and the internal fallout that follows. His scenes help sketch the bureaucratic layers the detectives navigate as the case widens beyond street crime.

Millar died in 2003. His résumé features a mix of television and film credits, and his turn in ‘Lethal Weapon 3’ is one of several roles that placed him inside law-enforcement worlds on screen.

Richard Libertini

Richard Libertini appears in ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ as a judge, presiding over courtroom moments that punctuate the story’s investigation into a counterfeiting ring. The role uses his well-honed timing to move the legal proceedings briskly while the broader case twists outside the courthouse.

Libertini died in January 2016 at the age of 82. A veteran character actor across comedy and drama, he left behind an extensive body of work in features and television, with his ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ appearance among his late-career film credits.

Jack Kehler

Jack Kehler turns up in ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ as a State Department official encountered during the probe into smuggling and forged documents. His scenes help illuminate the federal angle of the operation that Riggs and Murtaugh keep colliding with as they chase leads.

Kehler died in May 2022 at the age of 75. Known for distinctive supporting roles across film and TV, he remained a reliable presence in major productions, and his appearance in ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ is a recognizable entry in his filmography.

Share your memories of these performances and tell us which scenes from the ‘Lethal Weapon’ movies still stand out to you in the comments.