Joseph Stefano, who wrote the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Skin of Evil," is being remembered for his significant work in both film and television. Stefano, who had suffered from lung cancer, died Friday of heart failure at a hospital in Thousand Oaks, Calif., at age 84.

Stefano is most famous for writing the screenplay to Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller "Psycho," and was instrumental in establishing The Outer Limits as a classic science fiction TV series.

According to an obituary in The Los Angeles Times, Stefano was the one who came up with the plot twist that would make "Psycho" stand out among horror and suspense films: create a leading lady in Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh) and then kill her off in the first 20 minutes.

Stefano was also a major influence on The Outer Limits which originally aired from 1963 to 1965, producing the first season and writing many of the episodes. He is credited with having discovered Sally Kellerman ("Dr. Elizabeth Dehner" in "Where No Man Has Gone Before") by casting her in two episodes of the anthology show. "Joe was so kind and darling," said Kellerman, who remained friends with Stefano over the years. "If Joe said something, he really meant it."

Another Outer Limits episode Stefano wrote featured Barbara Luna ("Lt. Marlena Moreau" in "Mirror, Mirror"). William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were among the other young actors who appeared in the show, though in the second season.

"Skin of Evil" — for which Stefano conceived the story and co-wrote the teleplay with Hannah Louise Shearer — is notorious for being the episode that brought the demise of Tasha Yar in the first season of TNG.

Stefano was born May 5, 1922, in Philadelphia, where he sang and danced — and wrote his own material — for high school and little theater productions.

He his survived by his wife of 52 years, Marilyn, and his son Dominic. Services are pending. Follow the link below for a full obituary.