A Look at Miguel Ferrer’s Most Iconic Hollywood Roles: From ‘Twin Peaks' to ‘NCIS Los Angeles’

Miguel Ferrer, 61, passed away on Jan. 19 at his Los Angeles home after a long battle with throat cancer. As the world continues to mourn him, fans wonder at the eventful life he led. Here are some of the most memorable roles Ferrer brought to life in Hollywood - from movie villain to TV action hero.

Guest roles in "Magnum P.I." and "Star Trek"

George Clooney, who was Miguel Ferrer's cousin, told The Hollywood Reporter that Ferrer "made the world brighter and funnier." Indeed, Ferrer has made numerous contributions to the entertainment industry and to the generation of viewers who adored his roles on TV and on the big screen.

He started his TV career as an extra, appearing in several shows. It wasn't until he was cast in "Magnum P.I." (1981) as the younger version of his father's character that more producers took an interest in him. In "The Man Who Wasn't There" (1983), he was cast as a waiter. He also appeared in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984).

Remembering Miguel Ferrer, the executive officer of the USS Excelsior in The Search for Spock. Details at https://t.co/tblYUiiBi0 pic.twitter.com/gjLZMAAysY

— Star Trek (@StarTrek) January 20, 2017

Miguel Ferrer as movie bad guys in "RoboCop", "Mulan", and "Rio 2"

He was eventually cast in the 1987 "RoboCop" as an evil businessman Bob Morton. He also played the role of Lloyd Henreid in the film adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand" (1994), where he was the criminal right-hand of the main villain. He also lent his voice to the Hun leader Shan Yu in "Mulan" (1998) and Big Boss in "Rio 2" (2014).

Miguel Ferrer's career in law enforcement on TV

In the 1990s, Ferrer began to land big roles on TV series, usually in the crime or police procedural genre. He played D.A. Todd Spurrier in "Shannon's Deal", Officer Beau Jack Bowman in "Broken Badges" and FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield in "Twin Peaks". Also, he was set to reprise his role in the 2017 "Twin Peaks" sequel.

He also played the role of Dr. Garret Macy in "Crossing Jordan". Miguel Ferrer's TV career as a detective evolved and he began to land more roles in crime series. In 2011, he starred as LAPD officer Lieutenant Felix Valdez in "The Protector". Then, he started out as a recurring character in "NCIS Los Angeles" as Assistant Director Owen Granger before being promoted to series regular.

Ferrer's legacy lives on in the shows that fans will continue to love

His fellow "NCIS Los Angeles" cast members and fans expressed their sympathies on social media, according to Vibe, a day after his passing. Ferrer had done a lot and had lent his talents to so many creative projects. He even voiced some characters in superhero animated shows. In fact, his friend, Peter Davis, named one character after him: Miguel O'Hara, the alter ego of Spider-Man 2099. Fans can see Ferrer again on the 2017 "Twin Peaks" on May 21 and some later episodes on "NCIS Los Angeles" Season 8.