Richard Donat, a Canadian actor whose career spanned more than five decades across television, film, and stage, has died at 84.
The performer’s family confirmed he died March 28, 2026, at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. His longtime partner, Maggie Thomas, and their sons Owen and Morgan were at his side. Donat had been battling illness for the past two years.
Born Richard Francois Donat on June 1, 1941, in Kentville, Nova Scotia, he descended from one of entertainment’s most distinguished acting dynasties. His uncle was Oscar-winning English actor Robert Donat, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps” and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” in 1939, memorably playing opposite actress Greer Garson. His older brother, actor Peter Donat, achieved fame playing Fox Mulder’s father, William, in “The X-Files” and appeared in two films for director Francis Ford Coppola.
Peter passed away in September 2018 at 90 from diabetes-related complications, seven years before Richard’s death. Their uncle Robert died in 1958 at just 53, with cerebral thrombosis certified as the primary cause of death, brought on by a brain tumor.
For many television viewers, Donat became a household name through his portrayal of Vince Teagues, sketch artist and editor of the local Haven Herald newspaper, in the supernatural drama “Haven” from 2010 to 2015. The show, loosely based on Stephen King’s novella “The Colorado Kid,” was filmed on the south shore of Nova Scotia, about a 45-minute drive from Donat’s home in Bridgewater.
“I have always lived here and then this show comes along, and suddenly your life is changed,” Donat reflected about working on the hit series. “It is quite extraordinary really.”
After graduating from the National Theater School of Canada in 1967, Donat built a remarkable career spanning stage and screen. He moved to Toronto in the mid-1970s, where his starring turn as Cuirette, a macho biker living with a drag queen, in playwright Michel Tremblay’s groundbreaking play “Hosanna” earned rave reviews. The two-hander premiered in English at Toronto’s Tarragon Theater in May 1974 before transferring to Broadway’s Bijou Theater that October, establishing Donat as a fearless and versatile performer.
Science fiction fans knew Donat as the voice of Deej Warrick, the father of Wicket, in the animated “Star Wars” series “Ewoks,” which ran for two seasons on ABC from 1985 to 1986. The role introduced him to a generation of young viewers who grew up with the beloved characters.
His television credits stretched across decades and genres, including roles in “Little House on the Prairie,” “Trailer Park Boys,” “Hemlock Grove,” “Sullivan’s Crossing” as Roy Gunderson, “Emily of New Moon” as Dr. Burnley from 1998 to 2000, and the sitcom “Blackfly” as Colonel Boyle from 2001 to 2002, showcasing his range from drama to comedy.
On the big screen, Donat earned a Genie Award nomination for “My American Cousin” in 1985. His film work included “Tomorrow Never Comes,” director Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Weight of Water,” “The Event,” and director Mira Nair’s “Amelia.”
His theater accomplishments included winning the Dora Mavor Moore Award for his performances in playwright Bertolt Brecht’s “In the Jungle of the Cities.” He later won a Merritt Award for Outstanding Performance for his role in playwright Sam Shepard’s “Fool for Love” in 2007. As a director, he won the Mecca Award in 2004 for “The Drawer Boy.”
Donat also became a cherished voice on CBC Halifax radio during the Christmas season, where he regularly read Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “Christmas at Sea,” making the tradition his own and bringing joy to listeners year after year.
Donat is survived by his partner Maggie Thomas, sons Owen and Morgan, and grandchildren Charlize, Nadia, Mira, and Taran. His obituary described him as “a passionate gardener, a loving and supportive partner, a devoted father, and an extremely proud grandfather.” The family requests that donations be made to South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater in his memory.
