He Was Supposed To Be The Next Big Thing
With his unparalleled good looks and impossibly chiseled physique, Jon-Erik Hexum was destined to become Hollywood’s “next big thing”—but tragically, he met one of the most devastating ends in television history.
1. He Had Viking Blood
Jon-Erik Hexum might just as easily have been born in Scandinavia as a Viking lord. Instead, he was born on November 5, 1957, in Englewood, New Jersey. His father, Thorleif Andreas Hexum, emigrated from Norway, and his mother, Gretha Olivia Paulsen, was a Minnesota native of Norwegian descent. His home life was a little berserk.
HarryLangdon, Wikimedia Commons
2. His Mother Raised Him Alone
Hexum’s parents split when he was just four. From that point on, his mother shouldered the weight of raising him and his older brother Gunnar in Tenafly, New Jersey, juggling two jobs to keep the family afloat. However, Gretha Hexum wasn’t just a provider. She gave her sons everything they would need to succeed in life.
3. His Mother Made Him Musical
Despite barely scraping by, Gretha made sure her boys had a rich inner life. Jon-Erik Hexum remembered her fondly, saying, “She was wonderful when we were growing up”. And, clearly, she prioritized their education. “Somehow she found money to buy us a piano,” Hexum recalled, “we got to go to the theater periodically, and I took singing and dancing lessons”.
It was money well spent.
4. He Caught The Acting Bug
Hexum’s mother clearly saw potential in him. By the time he was in the second grade, he'd gotten his first, glorious taste of acting and never looked back. Then, in high school, he marched with the school band and could play the horn, violin, and piano. That was only a warm-up for him to showcase even more of his talents.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
5. He Did Everything In Senior Year
Jon-Erik Hexum wasn’t just a multi-instrumentalist. He took over as drum major in the marching band, became his school’s first-ever male cheerleader, starred in productions of Carousel and The Pajama Game, and still found time to get himself elected class president. He graduated in 1976 with a résumé that set him up for a future in Hollywood.
But first, he wanted an education.
6. He Couldn’t Pick A Major
Instead of heading straight for the stars, Hexum sought an education. He enrolled at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, tackling biomedical engineering, but quickly decided that it wasn’t for him. He transferred to Michigan State and pivoted to political philosophy. Even as he studied, however, he couldn’t help but perform.
7. He Did Radio, Football, And Everything Else
At Michigan State, Jon-Erik Hexum continued leaning into his knack for performance. By night, he hosted local radio shows as “Yukon Jack”—a nod to his nickname “Jack”. During the day, when he wasn’t studying, he was putting his Viking physique to good use as a backup on the Spartans’ football squad and took minor stage roles. Then he had a fateful encounter.
8. He Cleaned His Way To Stardom
Days after graduating, Hexum packed for New York City to chase the dream. But there were certainly bumps in the road to overcome. To pay rent, he scrubbed apartments for a living—and that’s just when fate intervened. On one of his cleaning gigs, Hexum crossed paths with Bob LeMond of LeMond/Zetter Management—the same firm that managed John Travolta. Seeing something special in Hexum, LeMond signed him on the spot.
Hexum later joked about the encounter: “I guess the guy saw a lot of talent in the way I cleaned Venetian blinds”.
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9. He Turned Down Big Opportunities
LeMond convinced Jon-Erik Hexum to leave New York for Los Angeles and to audition for Summer Lovers. Ultimately, Peter Gallagher snagged the part instead. But it’s not like Hexum was shy of opportunity. Legend has it that Hexum turned down roles in The Dukes of Hazzard, CHiPs, and a string of daytime soaps before landing his big break.
He was practically born for the role that would make him famous.
10. He Became A Time Traveling Pirate
In 1982, Hexum scored the lead in NBC’s Voyagers! In the period piece, he took on the role of Phineas Bogg, a swashbuckling former pirate who hops through history, righting wrongs. It was a great first gig, paying $10,000 a week, and it seemed like the perfect platform to launch his career. But the clock, as it turned out, was already ticking.
Screenshot from Voyagers!, Universal Television (1982-1983)
11. His Big Break Had Bad Timing
Voyagers! had everything going for it—except the time slot. NBC parked the show opposite 60 Minutes, the most-watched program on television. Regardless of Hexum’s talents—or impressive physical appearance—the ratings never stood a chance. After a single season and 20 episodes, the network pulled the plug. Hexum, however, refused to stay down.
Screenshot from Voyagers!, Universal Television (1982-1983)
12. He Became A Bonafide Heartthrob
Aaron Spelling had an eye for stars, and in 1983, he cast Jon-Erik Hexum opposite Joan Collins in the ABC TV movie Making of a Male Model. Hexum played Tyler Burnett and spent most of the film leaning into his assets: his body. When the film premiered, the final cut featured mostly shots of Hexum without a shirt. Clearly, it worked—the movie cracked the Top 10 for its premiere week.
Hexum, however, wasn’t entirely thrilled about it.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
13. He Regretted Going Shirtless
For all its commercial success, Hexum wasn’t pleased with Making of a Male Model. “It turned out to be a lot more exploitative than I anticipated,” Hexum later explained. “I didn’t realize how they were going to package the show, how many scenes were going to be shirtless for no apparent reason”. He called the whole thing “trashy”.
Trashy or not, he left an impression.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
14. He May Have Had A Backstage Romance
People magazine hinted at a romantic spark between Jon-Erik Hexum and Collins during the Making of a Male Model shoot. No other outlets reported the story, and neither Hexum nor Collins confirmed (or denied) the rumors. Either way, after Making of a Male Model came out, Hexum wasn’t short of female admirers. And he gave them a lot to ogle over.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
15. He Graced A Provocative Magazine
By November 1984, Hexum had become a certified Hollywood hunk, and the ladies wanted more. Even if he resented the objectification, Hexum capitalized on it, appearing in the provocative publication, Playgirl. In it, Hexum posed clothed and shirtless—but never fully unclothed—in the accompanying photo spread. The female readers certainly got an eyeful.
16. He Looked Like A Greek God
Hollywood couldn’t stop obsessing over its new hunk. At six feet and one inch tall, Jon-Erik Hexum carried a muscular frame, light blue eyes, and a deep, resonant voice that could make knees buckle at the slightest whisper. It wasn’t long before everyone started calling him the “next big thing”. Despite his growing fame, however, Hexum remained humble.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
17. He Worked For His Looks
Hexum’s impeccable physique was partly genetic—but also a ton of hard work. He had been an athlete since his childhood, kicking a ball around at eight years old and picking up wrestling, swimming, and weight training along the way. Even at the peak of his acting career, he hit the gym three times a week to maintain his great physique.
Unbeknownst to his admirers, however, Hexum was not on the market.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
18. His Girlfriend Saw The Real Him
Jon-Erik Hexum managed to keep most of his private life out of the public eye. But he couldn’t hide one fact: He was dating Elizabeth Daily. And their love transcended Hexum’s flawless features. Daily described Hexum as “always playing around like a little kid". She saw the humanity beneath the Hollywood hunk. And really, he was just looking for a simple life.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
19. He Lived Like A Miser
For a rising TV star destined to become a leading man, Hexum kept an almost comically modest lifestyle. He called himself an “extreme miser,” lived in a bare-bones house in Burbank, and drove a 1954 Chevy Bel Air. No flash. No excess. Just a guy saving every penny he could. His next role, though, was anything but modest.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
20. He Played A Real-Life Prince Charming
In 1984, Hexum guest-starred on Aaron Spelling’s Hotel, playing a character called Prince Erik. It was, perhaps, a little too on-the-nose for some to see Hexum playing a literal Prince Charming character who sweeps a Cinderella figure off her feet—but it worked. The episode, titled “Tomorrows,” added to Hexum’s growing star.
His own tomorrow looked brighter than ever.
Screenshot from Hotel, Warner Bros. Television Distribution (1983-1988)
21. He Immersed Himself In A Role
Hexum wasn’t satisfied to rely on his looks. For the 1984 feature film The Bear, a biopic about legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Hexum portrayed terminally ill quarterback Pat Trammell. Committing himself fully to the role, Hexum chopped his hair short—true to Trammell’s look. But that wasn't all. He also traveled to Alabama to meet the real Trammell’s family and former teammates.
The film would carry a haunting footnote.
Screenshot from The Bear, Embassy Pictures (1984)
22. His Only Film Preceded His End
The Bear was supposed to be Hexum’s first foray into major studio productions—the film that would launch him into true superstardom. Instead, it stands as Hexum’s sole feature film credit. The Bear premiered just three weeks before the world lost him. To add to the sense of loss, Hexum’s TV career was also heating up.
Screenshot from The Bear, Embassy Pictures (1984)
23. He Landed His Dream Show
Also in 1984, CBS handed Hexum the role of Mac Harper in the new primetime series Cover Up. Hexum’s character was a former operative posing as a male model alongside Jennifer O’Neill’s fashion photographer character, Dani Reynolds. The show had action, glamour, and intrigue—all the makings of a hit show that played to all of Hexum’s strengths.
It was the role he was born to play.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
24. He Almost Joined The Circus
Hexum proved that he wasn’t just a pretty face and blazing bod. He was always eager to take on physical challenges and even rehearsed a high-wire act for Circus of the Stars. Unfortunately, the producers cut the footage from the episode, so the world never got to see Hexum at his most daring. Sadly, his desire to do his own stunts would cost him his life.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
25. He Insisted On Realism
October 12, 1984, started like any other day on the set of Cover Up. The crew gathered on Stage 18 of the 20th Century Fox lot to film the seventh episode, “Golden Opportunity”. One scene required Hexum’s character to load a revolver with blanks. The show’s executive producer Glen Larson would later claim that Hexum himself had insisted on using a .44 Magnum for the scene.
His co-star saw tragedy coming.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
26. His Co-Star Begged Him To Stop
Hexum’s Cover Up co-star, Jennifer O’Neill, knew the danger of having props like a .44 Magnum on set better than anyone. Just two years earlier, O’Neill had accidentally injured herself with a similar prop at her New York home. Hexum’s casual ease around props on set made her deeply uneasy, and she repeatedly urged him to exercise more caution.
Hexum didn’t listen.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
27. He Got Restless On Set
The episode’s director wasn’t satisfied with how the filming was going and called for another take, delaying the shooting. In the meantime, as the crew worked to reset the scene, Hexum grew restless. Sensing that the rest of the crew was also getting tired, Hexum started goofing off to break the tension. What happened next, however, would only make the tension worse.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
28. He Played A Fateful Game
With the carefree abandon of someone operating a prop, Hexum emptied every chamber in the revolver except one, recklessly playing Russian roulette. Then he spun the cylinder and pressed the barrel to his right temple. Witnesses recall him saying either “Can you believe this [nonsense]?” or “Oh well, what the hell!” before pulling the trigger. It was a blank. But “blank” does not mean harmless.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
29. He Had No Chance
The force of the blank round shattered a quarter-sized fragment of Hexum’s skull and drove it into his brain. The resulting hemorrhage was catastrophic. The crew rushed to get him help, but there was nothing they could have done. Doctors later confirmed that Hexum “had virtually no chance of survival from the moment he pulled the trigger”.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
30. He Went Straight To The Hospital
Given the severity of Hexum’s injury, emergency medical services were contacted immediately. An ambulance transported Hexum to Beverly Hills Medical Center as fast as possible. Surgeons worked on him for five hours, but the chief surgeon, Dr David Ditsworth, delivered a devastating assessment: the damage to Hexum’s brain could not be undone.
Six days of agony followed.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
31. He Lingered For Six Days
After Hexum pulled the trigger, he never opened his eyes again. For six long days, he lay in a coma. Then doctors confirmed the worst of everyone’s fears: his brain had ceased to function entirely. On October 18, 1984, at 26 years old, Jon-Erik Hexum was gone. His mother made the decision to let him go. However, his star wasn’t done shining.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
32. His Girlfriend Sensed Something
In the weeks before the accident, Elizabeth Daily had noticed a change. Hexum was “very stressed, more stressed than I remember him ever being,” she said. Looking back, Daily offered a chilling epitaph: “The ambition itself is what actually ended his life. Not taking care of himself around that ambition”. Thankfully, he still had life left to give.
33. His Girlfriend Had A Premonition
Hexum got to say final goodbyes even if he didn’t know it. His girlfriend, Daily, had planned to have lunch elsewhere that day, but something stopped her—what she later described as “divine intuition”. Instead, she visited Hexum on the Cover Up set and saw him one final time. Less than an hour after she bid him goodbye, Hexum was unconscious.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
34. He Had Already Made His Wish Known
Hexum was determined to share his gifts with the world, one way or another. That’s why he carried a California Organ Donor card. His roommate, Nick Alan, later revealed that Hexum volunteered after learning that Alan’s young cousin needed a liver transplant. “He called me up and said ‘meet me at the post office,’” Alan recalled, “because back then you had to have a witness sign your driver’s license”.
Hexum’s generosity was about to outlive him.
35. His Mother Honored His Wishes
With her son gone in every way that mattered, Gretha Hexum gave permission for what Jon-Erik himself had requested. She agreed to let medical staff fly his body to San Francisco on life support, where Gretha and Jon-Erik’s brother Gunnar stood by his side for the final pronouncement. At Hexum’s request and with his family’s blessing, his organs were donated.
Several people would owe their own lives to him.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
36. His Heart Went To A Stranger
Hexum’s body traveled across the state to California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. There, surgeons removed his heart, placing it inside the chest of 36-year-old Michael Washington—a Las Vegas man who ran a small advertising firm and an escort service. Washington had been battling degenerative heart disease and had mere months left.
He was no ordinary patient.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
37. His Heart Went To A Hero
Michael Washington wasn’t just a Las Vegas businessman—he was a decorated veteran. Washington had served two tours in Vietnam, earned two Purple Hearts for combat injuries, and received the Bronze Star for Valor. At the time of the transplant, he was raising two sons, aged 11 and 4, and faced a 60% survival rate on the operating table.
Hexum’s strong heart pulled through for him.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
38. His Heart Overwhelmed Its Recipient
At first, Washington didn’t know whose heart was beating inside his chest. “Here I’m alive because of someone else’s tragedy,” he later recalled. “These must be really special people. How do you thank someone for this kind of gift?” Hours after the operation, a floor nurse told Washington the touching truth: He had a TV star’s heart in his chest.
But he wasn’t the only happy person.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
39. His Family Was Happy
If Hexum’s family had any concerns about who the recipients of his organs would be, they quickly forgot them. When they learned that Washington was getting Hexum’s heart, they were “tickled to death” because of his active lifestyle. Further, they stated that Washington’s race “never came into question”.
Washington put Hexum’s heart to good use.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
40. His Heart Beat On For 18 More Years
Washington threw himself into learning everything about the man who saved his life. “I’m alive because of him, so now I want to know about Jon-Erik Hexum,” he said. He watched episodes of Cover Up, admitting they brought tears to his eyes. Nevertheless, Hexum’s family declined to meet Washington, saying it would be “way too painful”.
Washington passed on in 2002, having lived 18 more years with Hexum’s heart.
41. He Saved Even More Lives
Hexum’s heart was only the beginning. One kidney went to a severely ill five-year-old boy. The other went to a 43-year-old grandmother, who had patiently waited eight years for a match. One cornea restored sight to a 66-year-old man; the other went to a young girl. Donated skin helped treat a three-and-a-half-year-old boy recovering from severe burns.
Jon-Erik Hexum didn’t just leave a legacy—he became it.
Screenshot from Making of a Male Model, Aaron Spelling Productions (1983)
42. His Ashes Returned To The Sea
Authorities ruled Hexum’s passing accidental. After 10 days at the coroner’s office, his body was flown to Los Angeles and cremated at Grandview Crematory in Glendale, California. His mother scattered his ashes in the Pacific Ocean, near Malibu, and the family held a private ceremony, wanting to keep the details out of the press.
He still wasn’t done leaving a legacy behind.
43. He Left Behind A Modest Fortune
With a rising star (and a knack for frugality) Hexum’s estate totaled $255,000. It wasn’t the fortune that he would have made, but it was something. Further, Hexum’s mother later reached an out-of-court settlement with 20th Century Fox Television and Glen A Larson Productions, the company behind Cover Up. He was, after all, the star of the show.
44. His Final Episode Aired Posthumously
The Cover Up episode Hexum had been filming on the day of the accident, “Golden Opportunity,” didn’t sit on a shelf collecting dust. The episode aired on November 3, 1984, two weeks after he was gone. CBS had already decided to keep the show running and tapped former ballet dancer Antony Hamilton to step into a similar role.
They quickly learned, however, that Hexum was one of a kind.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
45. His Character Left—And Never Came Back
Hamilton debuted as agent Jack Striker—another model-turned-operative—in the Cover Up episode “Writer’s Block,” which aired November 24, 1984. In that episode, the show addressed Hexum’s absence head-on: Mac Harper, they explained, had been lost on another assignment and would not return. The show tried to move on—but it couldn’t shine without its star.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
46. His Show Couldn’t Survive Without Him
Cover Up limped through the rest of the season without its original star. However, despite everyone’s best efforts, no one could deny: the magic was gone, and it had left with Hexum. CBS cancelled the series after a single season. Whatever alchemy Hexum had brought to the role—the charm, the physicality, the effortless screen presence—proved impossible to replicate.
Screenshot from Cover-Up, 20th Century Fox Television (1984-1985)
47. He Appeared On Screen After He Was Gone
In what stands as Hexum’s final television appearance, West German reporter Werner Baecker interviewed him in front of his home while Hexum washed his sports car. The segment aired on November 29, 1984—more than a month after the world had lost him. Baecker later added off-camera commentary acknowledging what viewers already knew.
48. His Co-Star Never Forgot Him
Decades later, Jennifer O’Neill spoke about Hexum’s passing with palpable grief and admiration for her former co-star. “Jon-Erik Hexum was at the pinnacle of his life and career,” she told Fox News in 2021. She praised his organ donation as “selfless,” noting that he was “[able] to save the lives of so many others in need following his fatal accident”.
![Title: Jennifer O'Neill, actress
Creator(s): Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer
Date Created/Published: [ca. 1982]
Medium: 1 photograph : color transparency ; 35mm (slide format)
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-gtfy-02914 (digital file from original)
Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication. For information see](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/factinate/2026/5/12/17785697032d48f1f040f854a3a939138544ab1274ebc66d7a.jpg)
Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer, Wikimedia Commons
49. He Believed In Himself Absolutely
Hexum’s self-awareness was as striking as his jawline. “One of my strongest traits is confidence,” he once said, "At times I’m amazed at my confidence, even when it doesn’t make sense that I should be”. But it wasn’t arrogance. Hexum knew that he was fortunate “to have some passion” and “an urgency in direction”.
“It makes our whole being so much fuller,” he said. His star is still shining.
50. His Light Never Went Out
In the Cover Up episode “Writer’s Block,” the showrunners made the decision to replace the closing credits with a touching tribute. The message was simple, but totally complete: When a star dies, its light continues to shine across the universe for millenniums. 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".
For the five people who received his organs, those weren’t just words.
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