Culture 3 min read By Mason Emerson
Marjoe Gortner, Child Preacher Turned Actor and Oscar-Winning Documentary Subject, Dies at 82
Marjoe Gortner, who began preaching as a child evangelist and later became the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary «Marjoe» before building a career as an actor in films like «Earthquake» and the series «Falcon Crest,» has died at 82 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Marjoe Gortner, the former child evangelist who became the subject of the Oscar-winning 1972 documentary «Marjoe» and later reinvented himself as a character actor in film and television, died Friday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 82.
His wife, Susan Magestro, confirmed the death to Variety. A memorial notice said Gortner had been suffering from health issues for several years.
Gortner first drew national attention as a boy preacher in the 1950s, when he was billed as a miracle child and packed revival tents across the country. He was ordained at four years old and spent his childhood performing sermons, faith healings, and fundraising appeals before audiences that treated him as a spiritual prodigy.
By his late teens, Gortner had grown disillusioned with the revival circuit. He left the ministry and agreed to let filmmakers Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan document his final preaching tour. The resulting film, «Marjoe,» captured him candidly explaining that he viewed the revivals as a performance and a business. The documentary won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1973, turning Gortner into a countercultural curiosity and a symbol of skepticism toward televangelism.
The film’s success opened doors in Hollywood. Gortner moved into acting, often cast as intense or menacing figures. He appeared in the 1974 disaster film «Earthquake» alongside Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner, and in «The Food of the Gods» and «Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw.» On television, he had a recurring role as Joshua Rush on the primetime soap «Falcon Crest» during the 1980s, and he also appeared in episodes of «The Love Boat,» «Fantasy Island,» and «The A-Team.»
Gortner’s life story remained a reference point in discussions about religion, performance, and American revival culture. The documentary «Marjoe» continued to be screened and studied decades after its release, and Gortner occasionally spoke about his unusual childhood and his decision to walk away from the pulpit.
He was born Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner in Long Beach, California, in 1944. His parents, both Pentecostal ministers, named him by combining the names Mary and Joseph. He began preaching at age four and was reportedly the youngest ordained minister in the United States at the time.
After leaving the ministry, Gortner pursued music and acting. He released a rock album in the early 1970s and made guest appearances on variety shows, where he sometimes discussed his past. His acting career slowed in the 1990s, and he largely stepped away from the entertainment industry in later years.
Gortner is survived by his wife, Susan Magestro. No immediate information about memorial services was available.
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