Career
Born in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, Burns is best known for playing "Pete Stancheck" in Herbie Goes Bananas and "Jack Cleary" in the The Thorn Birds mini-series. In his short career, Burns also appeared in several television shows and starred in the American Broadcasting Company series 240-Robert. Other credits include Eight Is Enough, Heart of the City, and Simon & Simon.
After being involved in a serious car accident in 1984, Burns received an emergency blood transfusion.
Unfortunately, the blood was contaminated, infecting Burns with Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Burns died from complications associated with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome on February 22, 1990, in Santa Barbara, California.