Peter Donat, who played roles in both daytime and primetime soap operas, died on September 7 at his home in California. He was 90.His wife, Maria, confirmed the news to The New York Times, citing the cause of death as complications with diabetes.
Born Pierre Collingwood Donat on January 20, 1928, in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Donat's primtime television credits included Flamingo Road (as Elmo Tyson), Dallas (Dr. Miles Pearson) and Hill Street Blues (as Schuster). Donat played William Mulder, father of David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder, on six episodes of The X-Files opposite Rebecca Toolan as Teena Mulder.
On the big screen, he appeared in The Godfather Part II, War of the Roses, The Game, and Tucker: The Man and His Dream.
Donat's soap opera roles included Stephen Markley in The Brighter Day (1958), Bert Stanton on As the World Turns (1959) and Vince Conway in Moment of Truth (1965).
He also performed through organizations like the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, where he would get to know director Francis Ford Coppola, and the Stratford Festival in Canada.
In addition to Maria, Donat is survived by sons Caleb, Christopher, and Lucas; stepdaughters Barbara Park Shapiro and Marina Park Sutton; stepson Malcolm Park; 11 grandchildren; and brother Richard.
Rest in Peace.
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