Star Trek and Mission: Impossible star Tom Troupe passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 97. According to the actor's representative, he died of natural causes at his Beverly Hills home.
Tom was born and raised in North Kansas City, Missouri, and began his acting career on the Broadway stage with his debut in the original 1957 production of The Diary of Anne Frank. The actor portrayed Peter van Pels, the teenage son of the van Pels family who hid the Franks in the Secret Annex during World War II and later became Anne Frank’s romantic interest.
The late star also graced the stage in The Lion in Winter, Father’s Day, and The Gin Game. However, Tom was no stranger to the big screen and usually appeared in single episodes of hit television shows. He played Judge William E. Grey in a 1987 episode of Cheers and Lt. Harold in a 1967 episode of Star Trek. He was also known for his guest roles in Frasier, ER, Mission: Impossible, and Murder, She Wrote.
Regarding his filmography, Tom starred in The Devil’s Brigade (1968), Summer School (1987), and My Own Private Idaho (1991). He co-wrote and featured in the 1968 film Sofi, an adaptation of the play based on Nikolai Gogol’s The Diary of a Madman.
Away from the spotlight, the actor was married to Sixteen Candles actor Carole Cook. The couple remained married from 1964 until Carole's death from heart failure in January 2023, just days shy of her 99th birthday.
The pair, who were dubbed "the Lunts of L.A. Theater", were jointly honored with the L.A. Ovation Award for Career Achievement for their stellar stage careers in Los Angeles.
Tom is survived by his son Christopher, daughter-in-law Becky Coulter, and granddaughter Ashley Troupe.
The actor's family released a heartfelt statement, inviting fans to share their condolences. In lieu of flowers, they kindly requested donations to the Entertainment Community Fund, which supports performers in need, or to the Pasadena Humane Society, in honor of the actor's love for animals.