Mike Connors of Mannix fame dies aged 91 ONE WEEK after being diagnosed with leukemia

By Sameer Suri For Dailymail.com

Published: 22:21 EST, 26 January 2017 | Updated: 03:27 EST, 27 January 2017

Mike Connors, who starred as the title character on Mannix from 1967 to 1975, has died at the age of 91.

His son-in-law Mike Condon has said the actor was diagnosed with leukemia a week before his passing in Tarzana, California, according to Variety.

He is survived by his wife Mary Lou Willey, whom he married in 1949, as well as by their daughter Dana Lee Connors. 

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Veteran: Mike Connors, who starred as the title character on Mannix from 1967 to 1975, has died at the age of 91

As Variety have noted, the first of Mannix' eight series on CBS drew disappointing ratings for the network, which considered scuppering the programme.

Lucille Ball, president of the show's home company Desilu Productions, prevailed upon CBS to keep it on the air, rejiggering it and enabling it to gain success.

Connors played hard-boiled private investigator Joe Mannix, who drove a succession of flashy cars such as the 1969 Dodge Dart GTS 340 convertible.

Pictured in 2010: Born Kreker J. Ohanian in Fresno on August 15, 1925, Connors served in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War before embarking on an acting career in the 1950s under the name 'Touch Connors'

The detective's traumatic past included having been a prisoner of war whilst serving in Korea, as well as having been a mercenary in Latin America.

Mannix, who like Connors was of Armenian descent, tended to defy authority figures in order to solve cases as he saw fit, often finding himself in severe physical peril.

The character put in an appearance on a 1971 episode of Ball's CBS sitcom Here's Lucy entitled Lucy And Mannix Are Held Hostage.

He did it his way: On his career-defining CBS show, Connors played hard-boiled private investigator Joe Mannix, who drove a succession of flashy cars such as the 1969 Dodge Dart GTS 340 convertible

Born Kreker J. Ohanian in Fresno on August 15, 1925, Connors served in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War before embarking on an acting career under the name 'Touch Connors.'

Starting out in the 1950s, he snagged screen time in such films as The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston, the Joan Crawford vehicle Sudden Fear and the John Wayne film Island In The Sky.

Veering into television, he wrangled guest shots on a variety of programmes including Gunsmoke and The Loretta Young Show. By the time he landed Mannix, he'd adopted 'Mike Connors' as his credit.

Armed: As Variety have noted, the first of Mannix' eight series on CBS drew disappointing ratings for the network, which considered scuppering the programme until Lucille Ball, president of the show's home company Desilu Productions, persuaded them to keep it on; Connors is pictured with Ruta Lee on a 1967 episode entitled Run, Sheep, Run

His now deceased son Matthew was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 15, and Mike Connors began advocating against stigma surrounding mental illness.

The actor's work in this area earned him a Silver Ribbon Award from the University Of California, Irvine's Brain Imaging Centre Committee, per the Los Angeles Times.

Connors' post-Mannix television guest spots included such programmes as Murder, She Wrote; Walker, Texas Ranger; The Love Boat and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Crossing over: Joe Mannix put in an appearance on a 1971 episode of Ball's CBS sitcom Here's Lucy entitled Lucy And Mannix Are Held Hostage

From 1981 to 1982, he also starred on the ABC drama Today's FBI, which only managed to last for single series before its cancellation. 

In 1988, he was among a cast that included Robert Mitchum, Jane Seymour, John Gielgud, Peter Graves and Sharon Stone in the miniseries War And Remembrance.

His final screen credit came a decade ago, when he acted in a 2007 episode of Two And A Half Men entitled Prostitutes And Gelato.

Post-Mannix: In 1988, Connors (left) was among a cast that included Robert Mitchum, Jane Seymour, John Gielgud, Peter Graves (right) and Sharon Stone in the miniseries War And Remembrance

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