Richard Donat, 1941 – 2026

Canadian actor Richard Donat (nephew of film star Robert Donat and brother of actor Peter Donat) died on March 28. He was 84. Donat costarred in the Canadian TV series Emily of New Moon, Blackfly, and Haven, as well as acting in numerous other shows and movies (among them Little House on the Prairie, The Littlest Hobo, The Weight of Water, My American Cousin, Amelia, Moby Dick, Hemlock Grove, and Sullivan’s Crossing). He also acted onstage throughout Canada, and made it to Broadway in Hosanna (1974). Blackfly costar Shauna Black described Donat as “an extraordinary mix of big sexy hulk of a man and an innocent. A true family man. Hugging him was like hugging a tree.”