Peter Marshall, Host of ‘Hollywood Squares,’ Passes Away at 98

REMEMBERING PETER MARSHALL

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Peter Marshall, a beloved game show host best known for his tenure on “Hollywood Squares,” has passed away. TMZ has confirmed his death.

The host succumbed to kidney failure at his home in Encino on Thursday. He was surrounded by his loved ones, a statement from his publicist revealed.

Marshall’s family had been spending time with him over the past few days, allowing for final goodbyes. Remarkably, he was able to communicate with them until his final moments.

Marshall’s career began in radio as a disc jockey in the armed forces. In 1949, he teamed up with comedian Tommy Noonan. The duo performed in various nightclubs and made appearances on popular variety shows, including “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

His most iconic role came in the mid-1960s when he was offered the position of host for “Hollywood Squares,” a game show that cleverly combined tic-tac-toe with celebrity guests and contestants. Marshall hosted the show from 1966 to 1981, completing over 6,000 episodes.

During his time on “Hollywood Squares,” Marshall won four Daytime Emmy Awards. However, his passion for acting drew him away from the game show in 1981 to pursue roles on Broadway.

Throughout the 1980s, Marshall played the lead role of Georges in “La Cage Aux Folles,” performing in over 800 shows both in New York City and on the National Tour.

His other stage credits include performances in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Anything Goes,” “The Music Man,” and “42nd Street.” He also had a number of screen appearances in titles such as “Annie,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Love Boat,” “CHiPs,” and “Fantasy Island.”

Peter Marshall retired in 2021 after battling a severe case of COVID-19. While he recovered from the virus, his health continued to decline over the last few years. His passing was not related to COVID complications.

Marshall is survived by his wife, Laurie, his daughters, Suzanne and Jaime, his son, Pete, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was 98 years old.

Rest in peace.

Source: TMZ