By Mariah Haas | Fox News
Edd Byrnes has died. He was 87.
The "Grease" and
"77 Sunset Strip" star died unexpectedly of natural causes on
Wednesday at his Santa Monica, Calif., home, a press release, shared by his
son, Logan Byrnes, said.
"His is the story of an
ambitious young kid who, in his 20s drove out to Hollywood from New York City
with a few hundred dollars and a dream of making it big in the entertainment
business," read the release.
It continued: "He soon
landed a starring role on the wildly popular TV series '77 Sunset Strip' as the
cool-talking 'Kookie.' He went on to star in dozens of motion pictures and
television series popular around the world, including playing the suave and
debonaire Vince Fontaine in 'Grease.'"
The late actor's career includes
a handful of movie and television credits such as: "The Secret
Invasion," "Stardust," "Yellowstone Kelly,"
"Troop Beverly Hills," "Charlies Angels," "The Love
Boat," "Fantasy Island," "Maverick,"
"Cheyenne," "Surfside 6," "Murder She Wrote," and
"Married With Children."
Edd also hosted two pilot
episodes of "Wheel of Fortune" in the early to mid-1970s. He earned a
gold record for the song “Kookie Kookie Lend Me Your Comb."
As a tribute to his enduring
celebrity and his iconic “Kookie” character, he ranked No. 5 in the "TV
Guide" list of “TV’s 25 Greatest Teen Idols.”
Edd leaves behind his son, Logan,
a KUSI and former FOX LA anchor; his former wife, Asa Maynor; longtime partner
Catherine Gross and their beloved maltipoo, Marlowe.