# Wesley Eure
**Wesley Eure** (birth name Wesley Eure Loper; born 1951 in [Baton Rouge, Louisiana](https://www.edgepedia.org/baton-rouge-louisiana)) is an American actor, singer, author, television writer, producer, and charity fundraiser, best known for playing [Will Marshall](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-marshall) on the [Sid and Marty Krofft](https://www.edgepedia.org/sid-and-marty-krofft) children's science fiction series *Land of the Lost* (1974–1976) and Dr. Mike Horton on the NBC soap opera *Days of Our Lives* (1974–1981), both at the same time[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262374/bio/) • [2](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/). His last name is pronounced "Your"[2](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1951, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; birth name Wesley Eure Loper[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262374/bio/) |
| *Days of Our Lives* | Dr. Mike Horton, 1974–1981, one of the character's longest-running portrayers[2](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/) • [3](https://dool-days-of-our-lives.fandom.com/wiki/Mike_Horton) |
| *Land of the Lost* | Will Marshall, 1974–1976, on the Krofft Saturday morning series; he also sang the third-season theme song[2](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/) • [4](https://www.wesleyeure.com/shop) |
| *Dragon Tales* | Co-creator/co-developer of the PBS animated preschool series[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio) |
| Hosting | Host of Nickelodeon's game show *Finders Keepers* (1987–88); regular on *Password* and *Match Game*[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio) • [2](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/) |
| Coming out | Came out publicly in 2009 and said he was fired from *Days of Our Lives* for being gay[6](https://daytimeconfidential.com/2009/06/04/wesley-eure-i-got-fired-from-days-for-being-gay) |
| Honors | Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, 2007[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262374/bio/) |
## Early life and path to acting
Eure was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and raised in [Hattiesburg, Mississippi](https://www.edgepedia.org/hattiesburg-mississippi), after his father left the family when he was two[7](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2009/11/wesley-eure-interview-part-1.html). He announced his intention to become an actor at age five, to the dismay of his family[7](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2009/11/wesley-eure-interview-part-1.html). His mother later became a psychologist and university teacher, moving the family through Texas, Illinois, and Las Vegas, where she headed Nevada's drug abuse program; Eure later paid for her law school when she was 50[7](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2009/11/wesley-eure-interview-part-1.html).
His first break came while he was working part-time selling paintings at the art gallery of the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. [Robert Goulet](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-goulet), performing at the hotel, hired him as a production assistant and driver for the Goulet–[Carol Lawrence](https://www.edgepedia.org/carol-lawrence) summer tour of *I Do, I Do*[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio) • [8](https://guidoblanco.com.ar/interview-with-wesley-eure). The tour ended in New York, where he joined the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut, appearing in *The Tempest*, *Mourning Becomes Electra*, *The Merry Wives of Windsor*, and *Twelfth Night* alongside [Jane Alexander](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-alexander) and Sada Thompson[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio). He also performed in *West Side Story* at the Bucks County Playhouse in Pennsylvania, earning his Equity card[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio) • [9](https://www.horrorsociety.com/2009/09/28/toolbox-murders-wesley-eure/).
## Two NBC series at once
After moving to Los Angeles, Eure was hired to star in [Kaye Ballard](https://www.edgepedia.org/kaye-ballard)'s projected children's series *The Organic Vegetables*, which never reached the air[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio). He then won the job of replacing teen idol [David Cassidy](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-cassidy) as Keith Partridge on *The Partridge Family*, recording a song at [Bobby Sherman](https://www.edgepedia.org/bobby-sherman)'s home studio and lip-syncing it for ABC; the series was canceled before the season started, so he never appeared[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262374/bio/).
In 1974 he landed the role of teenager Mike Horton on *Days of Our Lives*, and shortly afterward met Sid Krofft at a pool party, was given the casting director's number, and won the role of Will Marshall on *Land of the Lost*[7](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2009/11/wesley-eure-interview-part-1.html) • [8](https://guidoblanco.com.ar/interview-with-wesley-eure). He was reluctant at first because he was about 21 and the character was written as 16[8](https://guidoblanco.com.ar/interview-with-wesley-eure). Because both shows were on NBC, the network arranged for him to shoot all his *Days* scenes in the mornings for three years, then film *Land of the Lost* at Goldwyn Studios in the afternoons[7](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2009/11/wesley-eure-interview-part-1.html). On *Days*, he was part of one of the soap's longest-kept secrets, the reveal that Bill Horton, not Mickey, was Mike's father[7](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2009/11/wesley-eure-interview-part-1.html).
*Land of the Lost* was written by writers associated with *Star Trek*, including head writer David Gerrold, D. C. Fontana, [Larry Niven](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-niven), Walter Koenig, Norman Spinrad, and Margaret Armen, and its creatures such as the Sleestak were created by makeup artist Michael Westmore[4](https://www.wesleyeure.com/shop). Eure sang the opening and closing theme songs, recording them with producer Michael Lloyd; the third-season song was written to explain why his character's father had disappeared, which Eure attributes to a contract dispute[4](https://www.wesleyeure.com/shop). As a gimmick he was billed in the credits simply as "Wesley", a choice he later said he regretted[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262374/bio/).
## Film and missed roles
In the late 1970s Eure appeared in drive-in genre films, playing the murderer Kent Kingsley in *The Toolbox Murders* (1978), the title victim's tormentor in *Jennifer* (1978), and Brian Foster in Hanna-Barbera's *C.H.O.M.P.S.* (1979)[2](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/) • [5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio). ABC wanted him for the role of Gopher on *The Love Boat*, but NBC would not release him from his *Days of Our Lives* contract; the part went to [Fred Grandy](https://www.edgepedia.org/fred-grandy)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262374/bio/) • [8](https://guidoblanco.com.ar/interview-with-wesley-eure).
## Later career: writing, producing, and hosting
After leaving *Days of Our Lives* in 1981, Eure's acting became sporadic as he turned to writing, producing, and charity work[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/wesley-eure/). In 1987 he became host of Nickelodeon's game show *Finders Keepers*, and he co-produced the hidden-camera series *Totally Hidden Video* and wrote and directed NBC's *Spy TV*[2](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/) • [5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio).
His most durable later credit is *Dragon Tales*, the PBS animated series for preschoolers, which he created and co-developed. According to his account, a [Sony Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures) executive remembered his children's books and contacted him to create the series; its treatment won a federal grant of 16 million dollars[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio) • [11](https://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/wesleyeure/02/).
He is the author of five books, including the children's novel *The Red Wings of Christmas* (Pelican), which was optioned by Disney for an animated feature, the preschool book *A Fish Out of Water*, and two humor books, *Fun with Fax* and *On-the-Wall Off-the-Wall Office Humor*[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio). He also co-produced Stephen Schwartz's musical *Snapshots* through his company Cardboard Belt Productions, wrote and directed the camp vampire musical *Bite Me!* in Palm Springs, and ran a company, Games at Sea, producing onboard entertainment for cruise lines[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio).
## Charity work and recognition
For many years Eure was a leading fundraiser for the [March of Dimes](https://www.edgepedia.org/march-of-dimes), flying around the country to host telethons, and he helped with the start-up of Project Angel Food, which feeds homebound AIDS patients[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio) • [12](https://guidoblanco.com.ar/entrevista-con-wesley-eure). In Palm Springs he created and directed the poolside musical fundraiser LalaPOOLooza, benefiting seven local charities; the city's Human Rights Commission gave him a Human Rights Award and declared September 22, 2008, "LalaPOOLooza Day"[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio). He received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in 2007[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262374/bio/).
## Coming out
Eure came out publicly in a June 2009 interview with AfterElton, describing a one-year relationship with actor [Richard Chamberlain](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-chamberlain) and saying, "I got fired from *Days of Our Lives* for being gay"[6](https://daytimeconfidential.com/2009/06/04/wesley-eure-i-got-fired-from-days-for-being-gay) • [2](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/). He described the teen-idol publicity of the era, including "Win A Date With Wesley" magazine features, as disingenuous given the closeted life he was leading[6](https://daytimeconfidential.com/2009/06/04/wesley-eure-i-got-fired-from-days-for-being-gay).
In later decades he has remained a fixture at nostalgia conventions, appearing with *Land of the Lost* co-star Kathy Coleman, who played his sister Holly[5](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio) • [8](https://guidoblanco.com.ar/interview-with-wesley-eure).
## References
1. [Wesley Eure – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262374/bio/)
2. [Wesley Eure, NNDB](https://www.nndb.com/people/012/000207388/)
3. [Mike Horton, Days of our Lives Wiki](https://dool-days-of-our-lives.fandom.com/wiki/Mike_Horton)
4. [Land of the Lost, Wesley Eure official site](https://www.wesleyeure.com/shop)
5. [Bio, Wesley Eure official site](https://www.wesleyeure.com/bio)
6. [Wesley Eure: "I Got Fired From DAYS for Being Gay", Daytime Confidential](https://daytimeconfidential.com/2009/06/04/wesley-eure-i-got-fired-from-days-for-being-gay)
7. [The Wesley Eure Interview, Part One, We Love Soaps](https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2009/11/wesley-eure-interview-part-1.html)
8. [Interview with Wesley Eure (with special guest Kathy Coleman), Guido Blanco](https://guidoblanco.com.ar/interview-with-wesley-eure)
9. [Toolbox Murders' Wesley Eure, Horror Society](https://www.horrorsociety.com/2009/09/28/toolbox-murders-wesley-eure/)
10. [Wesley Eure, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/wesley-eure/)
11. [Nail Guns, Snakes and Sleestaks: An Interview with Wesley Eure, Part II, The Terror Trap](https://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/wesleyeure/02/)
12. [Entrevista con Wesley Eure, Guido Blanco](https://guidoblanco.com.ar/entrevista-con-wesley-eure)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Soap operas and continuing serials › US and Americas daytime serials and characters › Daytime serial production and people*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license