Brad Johnson, Actor in Steven Spielberg's 'Always' and Former Marlboro Man, Dead at 62

Brad Johnson, the former rodeo cowboy and "Marlboro Man" best known for his role in Steven Spielberg's romantic drama Always, has died.

In his obituary, Johnson's family remembered the late star as "a true renaissance man" who was "Not only interested in all life had to offer, but was gifted in it as well. Although he was taken too early, he lived life to the fullest." The obituary added, according to Entertainment Tonight, that Johnson grew up with a passion and love for the outdoors, and his younger years would see him hunting and competing in rodeo whenever he had the chance.

" Born to a horse trainer in Tucson, Arizona in October 1959, Johnson got his start in the entertainment industry in 10984 when he started his professional rodeo career.

Johnson soon began booking work, eventually becoming the Marlboro Man for the cigarette brand in ads and commercials.

After appearing in several uncredited roles, Johnson scored his first big role opposite Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfuss in Spielberg's 1989 drama Always.

In the film, a remake of Victor Fleming's A Guy Named Joe, Hunter's Dorinda Durston falls for Johnson's Ted Baker after her boyfriend, Pete Sandich, dies.

Johnson starred as protagonist Rayford Steele alongside Kirk Cameron in three Left Behind movies, recurred in 1996 as the pediatrician Dominick O'Malley on Fox's Melrose Place, and also appeared as Matthew Quentin Shepherd on the 1997-99 syndicated adventure series Soldier of Fortune, Inc. Johnson had been tapped to star in the Western movie Treasure Valley, but none of his scenes were filmed following the death of actor-writer Jay Pickett.