‘Chesapeake Shores’ Actor Keith Dinicol Has Died

Keith Dinicol, who played Arthur Driscoll on the Hallmark Channel original series Chesapeake Shores, has died. He was 69. 

Keith Dinicol joined the ‘Chesapeake Shores’ cast in season 5

Dinicol died of a stroke, according to the Stratford Beacon Herald. The Canadian actor was a long-time performer at the acclaimed Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, where he played more than 100 roles between 1981 and 2015, the paper reported. 

“While he played a wide range of parts in drama and tragedy, his generous, joyful, and energetic personality made him a natural and gifted comedian,” Stratford Festival artistic director Antoni Cimolino said in a statement shared with the Beacon Herald. “Just as he made all his colleagues happy to be at his side, he brought delight and laughter to the hearts of countless audiences.”

To Hallmark Channel viewers, Dinicol was recognizable as the famous but reclusive artist Arthur Driscoll on Chesapeake Shores. He joined the cast of the show in season 5. He also appeared in episodes of a number of other TV shows, including Reign, Murdoch Mysteries, Designated Survivor, and Schitt’s Creek. 

Hallmark Channel, Treat Williams remember Keith Dinicol 

Several people associated with Chesapeake Shores took to social media to remember Dinicol. 

“RIP Keith Dinicol of Chesapeake Shores,” tweeted Treat Williams, who plays Mick O’Brien on the series. “He was a great asset to the show and will be missed.”

Chesapeake Shores showrunner Phoef Sutton also remembered Dinicol in a tweet, writing that he was “devastated” to learn of the actor’s death and adding that he was “delightful” to work with. 

“Today we celebrate the life of Keith Dinicol, Chesapeake Shores’ Arthur, who recently passed away,” Hallmark Channel shared in a Facebook update. “Our hearts and thoughts are with his family.” 

On Twitter and Facebook, Chesapeake Shores fans also shared their condolences. 

Dinicol seemed poised to take on a larger role in ‘Chesapeake Shores’ 

While Hallmark Channel has not yet renewed Chesapeake Shores for season 6, many fans of the show were hoping to see more of Dinicol in future episodes. 

Dinicol’s character was introduced in season 5, episode 3. After Mick bought Megan (Barbara Niven) one of Driscoll’s paintings at a thrift store, she immediately recognized his work. She became determined to track down the artist, who had seemingly disappeared. When she did find him, the curmudgeonly Arthur made it clear he had no interest in revisiting his past career as a painter. However, he did open up when he reconnected with Mick’s mother Nell (Diane Ladd), who was an old friend. By the season’s end, it seemed like a romance might be brewing between Arthur and Nell. Fans hoped that they might see that relationship play out in season 6, if Hallmark Channel renewed the show. 

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