John Miranda was an actor and playwright who was best known for his recurring role as Baxter on the CBS western Guns of Paradise. He also had small film roles in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Falling in Love Again and Innerspace.

From the late ’60s through the early ’90s, Miranda appeared in minor roles on a wide variety of classic television series such as Happy Days, Three’s Company, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Eight is Enough, Little House on the Prairie, Punky Brewster, Knots Landing, ALF and St. Elsewhere.

Miranda began his career in the theater, at certain points sharing the stage with Elaine Stritch, Florence Henderson and Vincent Price. In 1965 he played the undertaker Mr. Sowerberry in a Broadway production of Oliver! He also wrote a semi-autobiographical play about his family, Italian Funerals and Other Festive Occasions, which was produced in regional theaters around the U.S.

Miranda died February 3, 2015, in Los Angeles. He was 88.