Stage and Screen Character Actor Ned Beatty Dies at 83

Beatty appeared on Broadway twice, in 1968 in The Great White Hope, and in the revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2003.

By: Jun. 14, 2021
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that stage and screen actor Ned Beatty has died at age 83.

Beatty appeared on Broadway twice, making his debut in 1968 in The Great White Hope. He returned in 2003 in the Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, for which he won a Drama Desk Award.

However, he was best known as one of the top character actors in film, particularly during the 1970s, and appeared in more than 160 films.

He has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, and a Golden Globe Award.

Some of Beatty's most notable films included Deliverance (1972), Network (1976), Friendly Fire (1979), Hear My Song (1991), and Toy Story 3 (2010).

He saw success from roles including lawyer Delbert Reese in Nashville (1975), investigator Martin Dardis in All the President's Men (1976), undercover federal agent Bob Sweet in Silver Streak (1976), the priest, Father Edwards in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), Lex Luthor's bumbling henchman Otis in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), as a millionaire's right-hand man in The Toy (1982), Pavel Borisov in The Fourth Protocol (1987), TV presenter Ernest Weller in Repossessed (1990), Rudy Ruettiger's father in Rudy (1993), attorney McNair in Just Cause (1995), Dexter Wilkins in Life (1999), the simple sheriff in Where the Red Fern Grows (2003), the corrupt Senator Charles F. Meachum in Shooter (2007), Congressman Doc Long in Charlie Wilson's War (2007), and in animated films as the voice of Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear in Toy Story 3 (2010) and Tortoise John in Rango (2011), among many others.


Play Broadway Games

The Broadway Match-UpTest and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia? The Broadway ScramblePlay the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
Tony Awards TriviaHow well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends. Broadway World GameCan you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!

 



Videos