The star of NBC’s long-running The Virginian, Randy Boone, passed away at the age of 83 on Thursday, August 29, 2025. His wife broke the news but gave no reason behind his death. Boone remains immortalized in television history.

The Virginian’s Randy Boone passes away due to undisclosed reasons

Randy Boone has appeared in other roles after his stint on The Virginian. However, audiences will always remember him as the ranch hand, Randy Benton, who sang and played his guitar while riding his own horse for years on the NBC show.

Boone’s wife told The Hollywood Reporter that the legendary actor passed away on Thursday. She gave no particular reason for the demise.

Apart from The Virginian, Boone also appeared on It’s a Man’s World and Cimarron Strip, which both lasted for a season. He also made an appearance in the 1963 Twilight Zone episode, The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms.

Boone joined The Virginian in its second season in 1964 and stayed for 46 episodes on the show. At the end of the fourth season, he left the show.

“I was told that [producer] Frank [Price] thought I was window dressing and wasn’t needed on the show, but I feel that I was needed as much as anybody,” Boone said about this role in Paul Green’s 2006 book, A History of Television’s The Virginian, 1962-1971, he added, “I think a show suffers when you make big changes and you lose the actors that caused the people to fall in love with it.”

Apart from his acting and singing skills, Boone was also a great horseback rider and had his own horse, Clyde. He used this horse in The Virginian as well.

Following his acting years, Boone got into the construction business in the late 1980s.

He will remain one of television’s bright stars from its early era.