Hollywood Mourns the Quiet

ByMike Anderson

Hollywood Mourns the Quiet Force Behind TV’s Biggest Hits

He began in the shadows, standing just off-camera with a script in his hands, watching legends work. From the 1950s onward, Michael Preece learned television the hard way: line by line, scene by scene, on sets like True Grit, How the West Was Won, and I Spy. When he finally moved into the director’s chair, he didn’t chase fame; he chased truth in every frame, guiding actors, sharpening tension, and letting stories breathe.

What followed was a body of work that quietly shaped millions of evenings: 70 episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger, 62 of Dallas, and crucial turns on Baywatch, MacGyver, 7th Heaven, and more. Cast and crew remember a calm presence who never raised his voice, a leader whose confidence made chaos feel manageable. At home, he was simply the center of a sprawling family—children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, even a great-great-grandson—proof that his most enduring production was the life he built beyond the set.

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