Action films act with a lot of risk, the actors on the set are required to perform certain risky stunts and, in some cases, to handle weapons. There have been cases where action movie actors got seriously injured on set and were taken to the ER. Some survive, but others are not so lucky. Unfortunately, Jon Erik Hexum falls into the latter category. When he was filming the action TV series Coverin 1984, the actor accidentally blew his head off with a .44 Magnum handgun, although rushed to the ER, Hexum was unfortunately pronounced brain dead six days later, truncating his career in the process. In memory of the actor, here is a brief overview of his brief visit to Hollywood as well as highlights from his personal life.
Jon Erik Hexum Biography, Age
In the town of Englewood, New Jersey, on November 5, 1957, Jon Erik Hexum was born, and like many actors, his love for acting was ignited at an early age and he began to play in primary school from the fourth year.
Hexum attended Tenafly High School, where he graduated in 1976. Besides acting, Hexum has also been shown to be very talented musically. He was part of the school orchestra where he played the violin and the horn. At home, he played the piano. After graduating from high school, Hexum moved to Cleveland to attend Case Western Reserve University where he studied biomedical engineering. A little later, he transferred to Michigan State University, switching from philosophy courses to philosophy.
An athletic young person, Hexum played on the varsity football team during his time at Michigan State. Additionally, Hexum began DJing on local radio stations using the Yukon Jack moniker. Hexum graduated from college at MSU in 1980, and days later moved to New York in hopes of starting a career in acting.
To meet his basic needs, Hexum took on menial jobs, including cleaning apartments for money. Luck smiled on him when he was discovered by Bob LeMond, who was managing John Travolta (who had already become a movie star) at the time. LeMond took an interest in him and urged him to move to Los Angeles as he had done in 1981.
Unfortunately, Jon Erik Hexum didn’t land the first role he auditioned for; the role that was for the romantic comedy film, Summertime Lovers went to Peter Gallagher. Although he didn’t land the role, this exposure propelled him to success, as he was soon cast as one of the main characters on the NBC series. Travelers! thus, its first role was its revolutionary role. He starred as Phineas Bogg for 20 episodes and was paid $10,000 for a week’s work. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after just one season.
Despite this, the handsome and rugged Jon Erik Hexum soared with each role. He appeared in the 1983 romantic television film, Making a Male Model and the 1984 biopic, The Bear. On the small screen, he earned a guest spot on the ABC television series, A Hotel. Hexum’s next major role was as secret CIA agent Mac Harper on the CBS action drama Cover. Sadly, this would be the last role for Hexum, who died following an accident on set.
Parents and Brother
Jon Erik Hexum was born to parents Gretha and Thorleif Hexum, both from Norway. Unfortunately, Hexum became the product of a broken home when his parents separated in 1961, when Hexum was only 4 years old. After the separation, Jon and his older brother, Gunnar Hexum, would be raised by their mother in Tenafly, Bergey County, New Jersey.
