Reggie Bannister, best known for his role in the Phantasm horror franchise, has passed away at the age of 80.
On Monday, August 10, his wife Gigi Bannister informed TMZ that the actor died in Crestline, California, on Sunday, after battling multiple health conditions.
Gigi Bannister reveals Reggie Bannister's health conditions
She revealed that Bannister was exposed to Agent Orange while serving in the US military during the Vietnam War and later battled Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease.
A rep for the actor also issued a statement following the heartbreaking news, noting, "Reggie Bannister fought debilitating effects of Parkinson's while resting comfortably in his mountain home with caregivers and Gigi by his side."
Born Reginald Horace Bannister, he was diagnosed with vascular dementia associated with Parkinson's disease in 2016, and by February 2024, his condition had progressed to Lewy body dementia.
As per the Alzheimer's Association, Lewy body dementia can progressively affect thinking, memory and behaviour.
Meanwhile, Parkinson's disease can make walking, balance, speech and other physical tasks increasingly difficult.
Reggie Bannister's most famous work
Bannister became a well-known name after playing an ice cream vendor turned shotgun-wielding action hero that took on Tall Man, the main villain in writer-director Don Coscarelli's 1979 horror film Phantasm.
Bannister reprised the role across four sequels through 2016. His other film credits included The Demolitionist (1995), Wishmaster (1997) and the cult horror-comedy Bubba Ho-Tep (2002).
Reggie Bannister on the Vietnam war
In a 2017 interview with Horror Geek Life, Bannister reflected on serving in Vietnam after being drafted despite his opposition to the war.
"I was not for that war, I was against it, but there was this thing called the draft," he said, adding that he served as head radio operator for an automatic weapons speciality group.
He shared, "I just thought, 'Soldier? Really? You're gonna be a soldier? Okay, well then you're going to be the baddest-ass soldier that ever put on a uniform.'"
According to his wife, Bannister experienced hearing loss following his military service and became a service-connected disabled veteran.
