The Tragic Death of ’80s Sex Symbol and ‘Cover Up’ Star Jon-Erik Hexum
Plenty of promising young stars have left us too soon — but the shocking, fatal accident that cut short the life of ’80s actor Jon-Erik Hexum especially left fans and followers alike wondering, what could have been?
Hexum, a New Jersey native, was on his way up in the world of film and television. In 1982, he landed his first starring role in Voyagers!, a sci-fi show about a time-traveling duo costarring Meeno Peluce (the half-brother of Punky Brewster‘s Soleil Moon Frye). Though it only lasted a single season, it raised his profile and helped him land a role opposite Joan Collins in the 1983 made-for-television movie, Making of a Male Model.
For Hexum, it was a natural fit because he looked just like a model. Jon-Erik played sports since he was a child, and maintained his physique by going to the gym without fail. He could have coasted on his good looks, but his parents divorced when he was four, with his mother left to raise him and his brother.
“She was wonderful when we were growing up,” he told The Herald-News. “Somehow, she found money to buy us a piano, we got to go to the theater periodically, and I took singing and dancing lessons.”
ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
Hexum’s mother nurtured his artistic pursuits. He took acting classes in college, graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in political philosophy. His tenure on the MSU football team played well into his film debut, in which he portrayed quarterback Pat Trammell in the Bear Bryant biopic, The Bear.
Making of a Male Model made Hexum a sex symbol, though he would later consider it a bit “trashy.” It did lead to more work, including an episode of ABC’s Hotel and the lead role in CBS’s Cover Up. Hexum played Mac Harper, a former Special Forces member working undercover as a male model to help Dani Reynolds (Jennifer O’Neill) avenge her husband’s death.
On October 12, 1984, Hexum was filming the seventh episode of Cover Up. The script required Hexum’s character to load bullets into a .44 Magnum pistol. But the day’s filming was delayed, and he grew restless. A known practical joker, Hexum began to goof around with the gun to liven the mood.
“Can you believe this crap?” Hexum said, according to Entertainment Weekly, while holding the gun to his head before he pulled the trigger.
The impact from the muzzle blast drove a bone fragment the size of a quarter into his brain, causing massive hemorrhaging. Medics rushed him to the hospital, where he underwent five hours of surgery. Hexum remained comatose and was pronounced brain-dead on Oct. 18.
Mario Casilli /TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection
Hexum’s death was ruled an accident. With his mother’s permission, his organs were donated, helping to save the lives of others. According to Best Eps, Hexum had also rehearsed a high-wire segment for Circus of the Stars, but producers declined to include the footage in the episode that aired in December 1994.
At the time of his death, Hexum was preparing to launch a production company to direct and produce films. He had no children and had been romantically linked to actress E.G. Daily before the accident.
Cover Up continued for 15 more episodes, with Anthony Hamilton stepping in as the male lead. At the end of “Writer’s Block,” the first episode without Hexum, the following message played instead of the closing credits:
“When a star dies, its light continues to shine across the universe for milleniums … John-Eric [sic] Hexum died in October of this year… but the lives he touched will continue to be brightened by his light… forever… and ever…”