Beverly Hills, 90210 Actor David Gail's Cause of Death Revealed

The cause of death for Beverly Hills, 90210 actor David Gail was revealed nearly a week after he died on Jan. 16 at age 58.

By Gabrielle Chung Jan 23, 2024 1:50 AMTags
Watch: Beverly Hills, 90210 Actor David Gail Dead at 58

More details surrounding David Gail's death have come to light.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum died at age 58 due to complications from sudden cardiac arrest, a rep for his family confirmed to E! News on Jan. 22.

The actor was found unresponsive by emergency personnel, who performed CPR and defibrillation in an attempt to save Gail, according to the spokesperson. However, their efforts were unsuccessful and Gail was placed on life support for several days before he was pronounced dead on Jan. 16.

"The family has no reason to suspect the cause of his death was anything but heart failure," the family rep in a release to E! News. "David will be remembered for his love of acting and his absolute passion and dedication to his friends and family. He possessed a unique quality that made everyone feel special in his presence."

Gail's mom Mary added in a separate statement, "We are extremely touched by the outpouring of love from David's dedicated fans and colleagues. We are grateful for all the support received during this very difficult time."

photos
Celebrity Deaths: 2024's Fallen Stars

News of Gail's death was first shared by his friend Katie Colmenares, who wrote on Instagram Jan. 20, "There's barely been even a day in my life when you were not with me by my side."

Calling the actor her "wingman" and "best friend," Katie continued in her tribute, "I will hold you so tight every day in my heart you gorgeous loving amazing fierce human being missing you every second of every day forever."

She added, "There will never be another." 

A native of Florida, Gail made his onscreen acting debut on a 1990 episode of Growing Pains. He went on to appear on Doogie Howser M.D. with  Neil Patrick Harris and Murder, She Wrote with the late Angela Lansbury before he was cast on Beverly Hills, 90210.

 

Charley Gallay/WireImage

Gail initially played a bellhop named Tom in 1991, but returned to the beloved teen series three years later as a love interest for Shannen Doherty's character Brenda Walsh. 

"Shannen was great," Gail recalled on the Beverly Hills 90210 Show podcast in 2021. "We got along great and we had a really good relationship. We talked about the scenes, we worked on them and it was fun."

Following his 90210 stint, Gail starred on the General Hospital spinoff Port Charles. He appeared in over 200 episodes during his tenure as Dr. Joe Scanlon.

Outside of TV, Gail held credits on the 2002 movie Bending All the Rules, as well as 2004's Perfect Opposites and 2008's The Belly of the Beast. He also did voiceover work for the 2019 video game Blacksad: Under the Skin.

In addition to his mom and his sister Kathryn Gail, Gail is survived by his son Guthier.

This story was updated on Feb. 27, 2024 at 12:33 p.m. PT to update Katie Colmenares' connection to David Gail.

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App