Stage and Screen Actor Jack Betts Dies at 96

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that screen and stage actor Jack Betts died at the age of 96. 

While best known for screen roles, Betts started his career in 1953 in the play Richard III on Broadway. He returned to Broadway in a 1959-60 production of Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth, and also appeared in the 1977-80 revival of Dracula. Betts also wrote the play It Goes Like This, which premiered at The Marilyn Monroe Theatre in Los Angeles in 2013.

In 2002, Betts played Henry Balkan in Sam Raimi's 2002 film Spider-Man, which was arguably his best known film role.

He portrayed Chris Devlin in the CBS mystery series Checkmate (1960–1962). From 1963 to 1965, he portrayed Dr. Ken Martin in General Hospital. He also played Mr. Fisher, an 80-year-old man on One Life to Live in 1982.

Among his numerous television appearances were four roles on the CBS drama series Perry Mason, including the role of Bert Nickols in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Impatient Partner," Enos Watterton in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Double Entry Mind", murder victim George Parsons in the 1964 episode, "The Case of the Wooden Nickels," and murder victim Bruce Strickland in the 1966 episode, "The Case of the Fanciful Frail.

Betts was also the author of Screen Test: Take One, a play about a soap opera that originated on a film set.