In any event, it looks like the talented man found his way from the great American Midwest to Hollywood in respectable time. He built himself a solid resume of smaller screen roles as well as segued into working behind-the-scenes on the production staff as well as reaching the level of producer. Though his screen time may've been in supporting players, he still managed -- with only thirty-six credits to his name -- to build a fairly impressive track record in the realms of the Fantastic, making stops to both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager along the way. In fact, his character of 'Chancellor Alrik' winded up with the task of enjoying wedded bliss to 'Kamala,' played on screen by the lovely Famke Janssen. What a role that could've been, am I right?
From an article on Yahoo.com News:
“He was the most fun brother ever,” Cottrell-Smith relayed to the outlet. “So many good memories of when I was a kid — we’d sing together, dance, just all kinds of fun things that went on all the time when he was around. … He was just so fun, full of life, entertaining. Every woman in the neighborhood adored him. He had a job when he was a teenager where he would take the bus downtown and he had to walk two or three blocks home from the bus stop, and he’d be singing and dancing all the way home. And all the ladies in the neighborhood would come outside and watch him.”
Our warmest thoughts and prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Cottrell.
May he forever rest in peace.
-- EZ