Actor known for his role on Dallas

Canadian’s career covered nearly 50 years on the big and small screens

Canadian actor Daniel Pilon, whose film and television career spanned nearly 50 years, has died after a lengthy illness. He was 77.

The actor, known internationally for his role as Renaldo Marchetta in the American soap Dallas, died June 26 in hospital surrounded by family, his talent agency said.

“Happiness is every moment; it’s living every moment,” Pilon said in a 2009 interview.

The Montreal-born actor had many opportunities to put that into practice during a prolific film and TV career in which he found success in Canada and abroad.

Pilon began his film career in 1968 when he was cast as Capt. Allwood in the British war film, Play Dirty. He would go on to appear in dozens of films and television shows, including the highly popular Dallas, in which he played a wealthy villain.

Pilon’s soap career included appearances on Ryan’s Hope, Guiding Light and Days of Our Lives.

In Canada, he often worked with renowned Quebec filmmaker Gilles Carle, most notably in the films The Death of a Lumberjack and Le viol d’une jeune fille douce, where he appeared alongside his brother, Donald.

Pilon also worked with a number of Canadian film directors including Jean Beaudin, Yves Simoneau, Jean-Claude Labrecque, Christian Duguay and Claude Fournier.

Pilon’s funeral will be private, his agency said.