Danny Seagren has passed away, aged 81. Seagren was the first live-action actor to play Spider-Man. His family confirmed his passing on Monday, Nov. 10.
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Seagren rose to fame when he assumed the role of Spider-Man on "The Electric Company," which was a series on PBS that also featured Morgan Freeman. A key feature of Seagren's time as the webbed superhero was a sketch series known as "Spidey Super Stories."
"I never felt silly," Seagren said during a 2017 interview with Mark Elitz. "I was focused on trying to be a superhero; I think before they cast me they saw some musclemen, but they couldn't move."
During Seagren's time as Spider-Man between 1971 and 1977, the superhero genre was well established but had seldom ventured into live-action. Of course, Adam West's Batman helped open the door to more superhero shows on television, with the DC hero a big hit from 1966 to 1968.
Seagren's career wasn't confined to his time as Spider-Man; he also appeared in "Tales From Muppetland" and "The Great Santa Claus Switch." He was a talented puppeteer and also made puppets as part of his role.
Danny Seagren Didn't Hold a Talking Role on "The Electric Company."
When you think of Peter Parker, your mind quickly goes to a highly intelligent, very chatty and very confident teenager. In modern depictions of Spider-Man, the character is quick-witted and rarely leaves a moment for quiet reflection.
However, during Seagren's time as Spider-Man, things were very different.
"He was never meant to talk," Seagren told Elitz. "There was no Peter Parker. I was a faceless, silent mime. There was not a lot of job security. They could put another body in the costume if they got mad at me. But I managed to hold the job for three years until the show went out of production."
Despite his silent role, Seagren clearly made an impact. Spider-Man has since spawned countless movies, cartoons and the comics are still being created and circulated to this day. And while Seagren can't take all the credit, his sketch version of the show undoubtedly helped spread the concept of the ma "who can do whatever a spider can."
