The 1980 horror film New Year’s Evil is an annual watch in the homes of horror fans across the world, and it was actor Kip Niven who played the slasher in the holiday horror flick. Niven’s Richard Sullivan puts on a mask, picks up a switchblade and goes on a killing spree in the film, killing off a new victim each time the clock strikes midnight in different time zones.
Sadly, we’ve learned this week that Kip Niven has passed away at the age of 73, with a local radio station in the actor’s native Kansas City, Missouri citing a heart attack as the cause.
Kip Niven began his acting career in the 1960s, starting off in plays and then graduating to films and television shows. In addition to New Year’s Evil, Niven’s resume also includes Magnum Force, Airport 1975, Earthquake, “The Waltons,” “Alice,” Dead Before Dawn, Summer of Fear, A Deadly Vision, “Walker, Texas Ranger,” Raising Jeffrey Dahmer, and Goodland.
When you watch New Year’s Evil this year, pour one out for Kip Niven.
