RIP Marjoe Gortner

 

Marjoe Gortner, Oscar-Bait Child Evangelist Turned ‘Earthquake’ Villain, Dies at 82

EXTRA

October 4, 2026

 

Marjoe Gortner, the performer whose life as a fire-and-brimstone child evangelist inspired an Oscar-winning doc ahead of a successful career as an actor, has died.

His wife Susan confirmed his passing to Variety, saying he died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, of congestive heart failure October 2. He was 82.

She told the outlet, “Marjoe lived an extraordinary life, shaped by his imagination and rare gift for bringing people together.”

Actor Ian Ziering stressed Gortner’s later charitable efforts, noting, “Marjoe Gortner was a force of nature. He became an evangelist in his teens, an actor in his young adulthood. His life story won an Oscar. I knew him because he produced the Marjoe Gortner celebrity sports invitationals that aired on CBS Saturdays for years. He brought celebrities all over the world to raise money for different charities… This man raised millions and millions of dollars for different charities while providing some of the most incredible celebrity experiences of my lifetime. I will never forget this man, and I will always be appreciative of not just what he did for me, but what he did for everyone who knew him.”

Gortner was born January 14, 1944, in Long Beach, California.

His parents had him ordained at the age of 4, ostensibly because he had an unusual gift for speaking eloquently to adults, but really as a hook to make money.

By some estimates, his family made $3 million, all of which Gortner claimed went with his dad when he left the family.

Gortner, 16 at the time, continued on the evangelist circuit to support himself. In 1971, he allowed filmmakers to document his final tour. The resulting documentary, “Marjoe” (1973), was a sensation, winning the Oscar.

It also helped make Gortner famous.

After a 1972 album entitled “Bad but Not Evil,” he began landing acting gigs, including appearing in the pilot for “Kojak” in 1973.

Most famously, he played psychotic Jody Joad, a member of the National Guard who uses a natural disaster to try to get the girl (Victoria Principal) and wreak vengeance on his bullies in the 1974 epic “Earthquake.”

He starred in several other films, most prominently “Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw” (1976), the giant-animal horror flick “The Food of the Gods” (1976), the biopic “Viva Knievel!” (1977), a disastrous “Star Wars” take-off called “Starcrash” (1978), and the acclaimed “When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder?” (1979).

He also made many TV guest appearances and was briefly the host of a topical talk show called “Speak Up America” (1980) with Jayne Kennedy and Rhonda Bates.

His most memorable TV gig was his self-referential work as Vince Karlotti on “Falcon Crest” (1986-1987). He played the huckster with aplomb, drawing from his colorful past.

Gortner retired from acting after the 1995 film “Wild Bill,” but was sometimes a guest at autograph shows.

Married five times, including to actress Candy Clark in the ‘70s, he is survived by his wife, Susan Magestro, to whom he was wed in 2019.

GORTNER, Marjoe (Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner)

Born: 1/14/1944, Long Beach, California, U.S.A.

Died: 10/2/2026, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.

 

Marjoe Gortner’s westerns – actor:

The Gun and the Pulpit (TV) 1974 (Ernie Parsons)

Wild Bill – 1995 (preacher)