Long-time 'Hollywood Squares' host Peter Marshall dies at 98

Peter Marshall, the long-time former host of the game show "Hollywood Squares," died on Thursday from kidney failure at the age of 98, according to his publicist. 

Marshall, who became a household name after hosting the game show, died at his home in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, according to the Associated Press.

The late-host appeared in more than 5,000 episodes of "Hollywood Squares," which spanned 16 years on NBC, from 1966 to 1981. The series earned four Daytime Emmy awards, and spawned dozens of international versions.

The show featured celebrities such as Joan Rivers, Aretha Franklin, Mel Brooks, Ed Asner, and George Gobel.

“It was the easiest thing I’ve ever done in show business,” Marshall said of the "Hollywood Squares" in a 2010 interview for the Archive of American Television. “I walked in, said ‘Hello stars,’ I read questions and laughed. And it paid very well.”

Marshall also starred in multiple productions on Broadway and the West End in London, and previously referred to himself as a singer more than a game show host. He starred opposite Chita Rivera in "Bye Bye Birdie" on the West End in 1962.

He is survived by his wife Laurie Stewart, and four children, including Major League Baseball player Pete LaCock who has played for the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago Cubs. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren, and nine great-great grandchildren.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.