October 12, 2011

Jim Troesh, Actor, Writer and Disability Activist

A recurring performer on the series Highway to Heaven, Troesh was the first quadriplegic actor to join the Screen Actors Guild.

Jim Troesh, an actor, writer and entertainment industry disability advocate, was best known for his three-season role as a quadriplegic attorney on the 1984-89 NBC series Highway to Heaven, starring Michael Landon.

Troesh became paralyzed at age 14, due to spinal injuries sustained when he fell off a roof. In addition to acting on Highway to Heaven, Troesh Troesh also wrote for the show. His other writing credits also include the 2006 film Color of the Cross, which he co-wrote with Jean-Claude La Marre and Jean Claude Nelson. As an active member of the Writers Guild of America West’s Writers with Disabilities Committee, Troesh was the first quadriplegic to join the Screen Actors Guild only quadriplegic dual member of WGAW and SAG.

An active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Troesh served on the Academy's Performers Peer Group Executive Committee and contributed articles to the organization's official publication, emmy magazine. In addition, he was a former national chairman of AFTRA’s Performers with Disabilities Committee and a former president of the Media Access Office. At the WGAW’s 2011 Media Access Awards, held last week, WGAW WDC Committee chair Allen Rucker dedicated this year’s event to Troesh. The Media Access Awards honor projects and artists that improve awareness, promote accessibility and champion accurate representations of the disability experience. Troesh received the prestigious Michael Landon Award from the Media Access Office and was a recipient of the ABC/Disney Writing Scholarship.

In recent years, Troesh created the television pilot The Hollywood Quad, a sitcom he wrote, produced, directed and starred in along with guest star Bryan Cranston. The project was a comedic look at Troesh’s journey in the industry. He later turned the program into a podcast series. His other acting credits include Boston Legal, Special Unit, Notes From the Underground, Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story and Airwolf. Troesch died October 1, 2011, at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. He was 54.

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