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Acclaimed actor Ned Beatty has passed away at the age of 83. According to his daughter, Blossom Beatty Pidduck, the “Deliverance” star died from natural causes in his home in Los Angeles, California, on June 13, 2021.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky on July 6, 1937. He grew up working on farms and fishing in the small town of St. Matthews, Kentucky. Whenever people asked the actor how he got into show business he would respond with, “By hanging out with the wrong crowd.”
The “wrong crowd” included some prominent names in the industry:
- Charlton Heston
- Marlon Brando
- Robert Redford
- John Huston
- Steven Spielberg
- Paul Newman
- Robert Altman
- Richard Burton
According to IMDb, critics, peers, and fans have all marked Beatty as a dedicated actor’s actor. He started his entertaining career when he was 10 years old. At that time he performed for pocket change in a barbershop and in gospel quartets.
Working in the big city and limelight did not come easy for the man who was eventually known as “The busiest actor in Hollywood.” The first 10 years of his acting career were spent in the Barter Theater — located in Abingdon, Virginia. He was also a member of Shakespeare in Central Park — located in Louisville, Kentucky.
Afterwhich Beatty moved to Pennsylvania and worked in the Erie Playhouse. He then performed in Houston, Texas at the Playhouse Theater. Beatty also performed in Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage Company. He appeared in Broadway’s production of “The Great White Hope.” His performance in the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles won rave reviews.
John Boorman chose Beatty in 1971 to play Bobby Trippe in the movie “Deliverance.” He can also be seen in:
- “White Lightning” in 1973.
- “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings” in 1975.
- “Nashville” also in 1975.
- “The Deadly Tower” debuted in 1975.
- “Silver Streak” in 1976.
- “Superman” in 1978.
- “Superman II” in 1980.
- “The Toy” in 1982.
- “Stroker Ace” in 1983.
Beatty participated in many more films throughout his career. He even starred in a few TV shows.
Many people took to social media to pay their respects to the late actor. Valerie Perrine tweeted, “RIP Ned Beatty!! I’ve always had such fond memories of him. He brought so much to Otis and brought him to life like no other actor could have. He’s an unforgettable performer and his talents will be missed. I’ll see you in Otisberg one of these days!”
Edgar Wright posted a picture of Beatty as Otis from the “Superman” movie on Twitter. Wright captioned the picture:
Because of this card I always smell bubblegum when I think of Ned Beatty; a huge memorable, likable presence in film. Favourites include Deliverance, Network, Hopscotch, White Lightning, Wise Blood, Nashville, Superman, plus great baddie Lotso the Bear in Toy Story 3. RIP x.
He is survived by his eight children, wife, family, and friends. May he rest in peace.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
The Hollywood Reporter: Ned Beatty, Acclaimed Character Actor in ‘Deliverance,’ ‘Network’ and ‘Homicide: Life on the Street,’ Dies at 83; by Mike Barnes
IMDb: Ned Beatty
Featured, Inline, and Top Image Courtesy of Alan Light’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License