Marjoe Gortner, child preacher turned actor, dies at 82

Marjoe Gortner, the celebrity child preacher who became the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Marjoe and later acted in film and television, has died at 82.

His family announced his death and said the cause was complications from congestive heart failure, according to The Hollywood Reporter on Oct. 4, 2026. Congestive heart failure is a long-term condition in which the heart pumps blood less effectively than it should. Complications can develop over time and affect other organs. The family statement is the source for both the death and the cause.

He was born Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner on Jan. 14, 1944, in Long Beach, California. He was ordained as a preacher at age 4. Ordination is a formal process by which a church authorises a person to preach and lead services. For a small child, it means speaking and performing religious duties before congregations at an unusually early age.

That early life is recorded in Marjoe, released in 1972. The documentary was produced and directed by Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan. A documentary of this kind is a non-fiction film, rather than a story performed from a script. It won the Oscar for best feature documentary, the Academy Award presented to a feature-length non-fiction film.

Gortner's later working life was characterised by scripted acting roles. He played Jody Joad in the 1974 film Earthquake. He also appeared in When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? Film parts of this kind involve performing a written character for cinema release.

On television, he portrayed Vince Karlotti in Falcon Crest. He appeared in 17 episodes during the show's sixth season in 1986-87. A season is a yearly set of episodes, and 17 appearances represent a sustained run within that year. It made Karlotti a recurring face for viewers who followed that season.

What makes this stand out for a general reader is the shape of the career. It began in the pulpit in early childhood. It then became the focus of a documentary released under his own first name. It continued with character work in films and in a television drama.

He is survived by his fifth wife, Susan, whom he married in 2019. He was 82.