Best known for playing Dr. Donald Stewart in the 1990s series Lassie, veteran Canadian actor Walter Massey has died, aged 85, after a long illness.

A cousin of Raymond Massey, the late Toronto-born Hollywood star, Walter Massey enjoyed early success on the Canadian stage, including at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, before going onto the small and big screen.

His TV credits included playing Tom Temple in the courtroom series Family Court, and providing the voice of Haney in the TV series Arthur.

In all, Massey appeared in around 50 film and TV roles over a six-decade career. In 2007, ACTRA in Montreal gave the actor a lifetime achievement award.

Massey is survived by his wife Sharman Yarnell.