First Spider-Man actor dies aged 81

Ottoline Spearman

The first actor to play Spider-Man on TV has died at the age of 81.

Danny Seagren appeared as the superhero in 1974 on children's show The Electric Company.

He was a puppeteer and puppet maker for Muppets creator Jim Henson, and while working this job, he interviewed for the role of Spider-Man.

"I put the costume on and I thought I've got to knock his socks off, somehow," he told Mark Elitz, author of How to Be a Superhero, in a 2017 interview.

"In the room, there was a filing cabinet and a desk. I climbed on top of the filing cabinet.

"When he came back into the room, I jumped over his shoulder - but not quite over his head - and landed on the desk in the middle of the room."

Mr Seagran played Spider-Man for three years, and his character later inspired a Marvel comic.

He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and throughout his career also worked as a writer, dancer, and producer.

His family say he will be "greatly missed".