Who is Michael Reagan? Son of former US President Ronald Reagan dies; all you need to know about his acting career, books, charity work and cause of death

Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan and a conservative commentator, died aged 80, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced on Tuesday (January 6, 2025).

Calling him “a steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy,” the foundation, in a post on X, said, “Michael Reagan lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals.” His cause of death was not immediately announced and was not known at the time of filing of this report.

Who was Michael Reagan?

Born to Irene Flaugher in 1945, Reagan was adopted just hours after his birth by Ronald Reagan and his then-wife, actor Jane Wyman. He was a contributor to the conservative Newsmax television network and was known for his talk radio program, “The Michael Reagan Show.”

Following in the footsteps of his parents, he took up acting after attending Arizona State University and Los Angeles Valley College. He played in television shows, including “Falcon Crest,” and he spent nearly two decades as a conservative radio talk show host, speaking of politics and culture.

Michael Reagan's books

In two autobiographical books titled “On the Outside Looking In” and “Twice Adopted," he told of, at times, a difficult childhood, which included coming to terms with his adoption and his journey of faith.

Reagan penned several others, including "Lessons My Father Taught Me," published in 2016, where he detailed lessons learned growing up the son of Ronald Reagan.

Michael Reagan worked for charities

Reagan raised money and worked for charities, using powerboat racing as a means of fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund, according to news agency AP. He sat on the advisory board for Mixed Roots Foundation, which focuses on foster care and adoption in the U.S. and globally.

Reagan served as chair of the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation board for three years, working on the same disease his father succumbed to in 2004.

As president and chair of the Reagan Legacy Foundation, he championed the legacy of his father. The conservative former president was known for trying to scale back the government and devoting his presidency to winning the Cold War. Michael Reagan's second and decades-long marriage was to his wife Colleen, with whom he had two children.