Earl Hindman dies of lung cancer at 61

Actor played odd neighbor Wilson on 'Home Improvement'

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updated 9:32 a.m. ET Dec. 30, 2003

NEW YORK - He was little more than eyes and a forehead peering over the backyard fence. Earl Hindman, the actor known to millions as the odd neighbor in the long-running sitcom “Home Improvement,” has died of lung cancer at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut. He was 61.

Hindman’s character Wilson doled out bits of folksy wisdom to Tim Taylor, the embattled main character. The show was an ABC hit through the 1990s and is still seen in syndication.

Before appearing on the show, Hindman played Detective Lieutenant Bob Reid for 16 years on the daytime drama “Ryan’s Hope.”

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Hindman also acted on the stage and in movies. He was born in Bisbee, Arizona, and studied acting at the University of Arizona.