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General Hospital actor Jay Pickett died Friday on the set of his movie, Treasure Valley, according to Variety. Although nothing has been confirmed as far as the cause of death, the director of the movie, Travis Miller, says that it may have been a heart attack. Jay Pickett was 60 years of age.
Jay Pickett’s Early Life
He was born on February 10, 1961, in Spokane, Washington as Jay Harris Pickett, but was raised in a Midwest town by the name of Caldwell. When it finally came time for college Pickett would attend Boise State University and would eventually receive his Bachelors in acting. He wouldn’t stop there as he then would go on to attend UCLA to receive his Masters in acting. Along with taking the necessary classes to graduate, he would also appear in many theatrical plays for both schools.
Professional Life
The 1987 family comedy Rags to Riches was where Pickett got his start, he played the son of a Russian diplomat during the show’s second and final season. From there he would go on to be in shows like Dragnet, Mr. Belvedere, and Matlock. And in 1992, he would get a recurring role on Days of Our Lives as Dr. Chip Lakin. In 2008 he appeared in Showtime’s Dexter for one episode during season 3. Later that year Jay Pickett would appear in General Hospital where he played Detective David Harper and Lorenzo Alcazar. From there he would go on to appear in Desperate Housewives, The Mentalist, and NCIS: Los Angeles. It wasn’t until 2012 when Pickett started getting more involved on the producer side of the business by producing different projects, four movies along with a short, before the untimely death onset of his most recent film, Treasure Valley. The director, Travis Miller, said this about Jay Pickett:
He was one of the best actors I 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. 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.”
Pickett is survived by his wife of 35 years, Elena, and their three children.