Jay Pickett, best known for his roles in "General Hospital" and "Days of Our Lives," has died at 60 from an apparent heart attack while on the set of his upcoming film, "Treasure Valley."
The film's director and producer, Travis Mills, confirmed the news Sunday in a Facebook post.
"Many of you have already heard about the tragedy that happened two days ago. Jay Pickett, our leading man, writer, producer, and creator of this movie passed away suddenly while we were on location preparing to film a scene," he wrote. "There is no official explanation for the cause of his death but it appears to have been a heart attack. Everyone present tried as hard as they could to keep him alive. Our hearts are broken and we grieve for his family who are so devastated by this shocking tragedy."
Mills described Pickett as an "incredible man" who was "kind, sweet, and generous." He added that Pickett was also "one of the best actors" he had ever worked with, and it was an "honor to collaborate with him."
"Everyone who met him, even for the briefest moment, could feel his warmth, his wonderful spirit," Mills continued. "It is difficult to find the words right now to say more. His closest friends have said that he was very happy making Treasure Valley and my hope is that he truly was. He was doing what he loved: acting, riding horses, making movies. And he was magnificent."
One of Pickett's "Treasure Valley" co-stars, Jim Heffel, said in a separate Facebook post that the star had died while filming a scene in which he was sitting on a horse.
"Yesterday I lost a good friend and the world lost a great person. Jay Pickett decided to ride off into the Heavens," Heffel wrote. "Jay died sitting on a horse ready to rope a steer in the movie Treasure Valley in Idaho. The way of a true cowboy. Jay wrote the story and starred in it. He was also coproducer with myself and Vernon Walker. He will be truly missed. Ride like the wind partber."
Born on Feb. 10, 1961, in Spokane, Washington, Pickett launched his acting career in the 1980s with TV show credits that include "Rags to Riches" and "China Beach," according to Fox News. He appeared in dozens of other series like "NCIS: Los Angeles," "Queen Sugar," "The Mentalist" and "Rosewood," but his most memorable roles were as Frank Scanlon on "Port Charles," Dr. Chip Lakin on "Days of Our Lives," and Detective David Harper on "General Hospital."
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Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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