Chad Everett, a character actor who exploded onto the film scene in 1961 and didn't stop until the very end, has died. He was 75.

Everett, whose last work was in the ABC series "Castle," was suffering from lung cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The actor was probably best known for his work as Dr. Joe Cannon in "Medical Center" from 1969 to 1976, probably the most successful series he ever starred in. The show was produced by MGM Television and aired on CBS for seven seasons.

Everett starred alongside James Daly as surgeons in a Los Angeles hospital. Everett joined the series following the pilot, replacing Richard Bradford in the role. "Medical Center was a Top 10 show in its second season, but never really advanced further than that. By the time it was cancelled, it had tied "Marcus Welby, M.D." as the longest-running medical drama up until the mid-1970s.

Everett was born June 11, 1937 in South Bend, Ind., which was also the home of actress Vivica Fox and "Breaking Bad" alum Dean Norris. Although he was born Raymon Lee Crampton, his named was changed to "Chad Everett" when he became a contract player for Warner Bros.

He would appear in guest roles in a number of series in the 1960s including "77 Sunset Strip," "Surfside 6," "Hawaiian Eye" and "The Dakotas." In the late 1970s, he would take on the role of Maj. Maxwell Mercy in the Raymond Burr and Richard Chamberlain miniseries "Centennial."

Everett would also make guest appearances in shows like "The Love Boat," "The Rousters" and "Murder, She Wrote" in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Most recently, he appeared in the Cinemax series "Chemistry" as Vic and played Joseph Shilling in the short-lived NBC series "Undercovers." He also played an older Dean Winchester in The CW series "Supernatural."

Everett was never nominated for an Emmy, but he did receive two Golden Globe nominations for "Medical Center" in 1971 and 1973. He married actress Shelby Grant in 1966, who would later leave acting to do charity work for children needing heart surgeries. She died last year of a brain aneurysm at the age of 74.

The couple had two daughters, Shannon Everett and Katherine Everett.