'Oz' producer Sean Whitesell dead at 52

Sean David Gerard Whitesell, a writer and producer for television shows including "Oz" and "The Killing", is dead. He passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Whitesell died here on Thursday, a representative of talent agency WME told hollywoodreporter.com. He was 52.

Whitesell was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme in June 2014. He began "Eddie and the Aviator" and completed the film despite difficulties caused by his illness.

He leaves behind his wife Maria Quiban Whitesell, the KTTV weather anchor, and their son Gus as well as his parents and five brothers.

A funeral mass celebrating Whitesell's life will be held at Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Church here on Saturday morning.

For "The Killing", he was nominated for an Edgar Award last year. Additionally, he wrote and directed a number of short films, the latest of which was "Eddie and the Aviator" (2015).

Before beginning his writing career, Whitesell was an actor. He appeared as a recurring character, Donald Groves, on "Oz" and as Dr. Eli Devilbiss on "Homicide: Life on the Street."

He also made guest appearances on a number of other television shows and appeared in the 1993 movie "And the Band Played On".

Whitesell was born in Iowa Falls, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa and went on to get his MFA from UC San Diego.