Ned Beatty(1937-2021)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Stocky, genial-looking supporting actor Ned Beatty was once hailed by Daily Variety as the "busiest actor in Hollywood."
Ned Thomas Beatty was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Margaret (Fortney) and Charles William Beatty. He grew up fishing and working on farms. His hometown of St. Matthews, Kentucky, is hardly the environment to encourage a career in the entertainment industry, though, so when asked, "How did you get into show business?" Beatty responded, "By hanging out with the wrong crowd." That "crowd" includes some of the industry's most prominent names, such asJohn Huston,Steven Spielberg,Robert Altman,Paul Newman,Richard Burton,Charlton Heston,Marlon BrandoandRobert Redford.
Beatty garnered praise from both critics and peers as a dedicated actor's actor. He started as a professional performer at age ten, when he earned pocket money singing in gospel quartets and a barber shop. The big city and bright lights did not come easy, though. The first ten years of Beatty's career were spent at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia. He then moved on to the Erie Playhouse in Pennsylvania, the Playhouse Theater in Houston, Texas, and the prestigious Arena Stage Company in Washington, D.C. He was also a member of Shakespeare in Central Park, Louisville, Kentucky. Later, he appeared in the Broadway production of "The Great White Hope". At the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, he won rave reviews when he starred in "The Accidental Death of an Anarchist."
In 1971, Beatty was chosen by directorJohn Boormanfor the role of Bobby Trippe in the hit film/backwoods nightmareDeliverance (1972).Co-starBurt Reynoldsand Beatty struck up a friendship, and Ned was then cast by Burt in several other films together, includingWhite Lightning (1973),W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975),and the abysmalStroker Ace (1983).Ned's talents were also noticed by others in Hollywood and he was cast in many key productions of the 1970s turning in stellar performance, including an Academy Award nomination of Best Supporting Actor for his role inNetwork (1976).Beatty was also marvelous inNashville (1975),under fire from a crazed sniper inThe Deadly Tower (1975),an undercover FBI man in the action comedySilver Streak (1976),as Lex Luthor's bumbling assistant, Otis, in the blockbusterSuperman (1978)... and he returned again withGene Hackmanto play Otis and Lex Luthor again inSuperman II (1980).
Beatty continued to remain busy throughout the 1980s with appearances in several big budget television productions includingThe Last Days of Pompeii (1984).However, the overall caliber of the productions in general did not match up to those he had appeared in during the 1970s. Nonetheless, Beatty still shone in films includingThe Big Easy (1986)andThe Fourth Protocol (1987).Into the 1990s, Beatty's work output swung between a mixture of roles in family orientated productions (Gulliver's Travels (1996),Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1990),etc.) taking advantage of his "fatherly" type looks, but he could still accentuate a hard edge, and additionally was cast inRadioland Murders (1994)andJust Cause (1995).His many other films includeThe Toy (1982),All the President's Men (1976),Wise Blood (1979),Rudy (1993),Spring Forward (1999),Hear My Song (1991)-- for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor --Prelude to a Kiss (1992),He Got Game (1998)andCookie's Fortune (1999).Beatty's numerous television credits include three years on the NBC seriesHomicide: Life on the Street (1993),Streets of Laredo (1995)andThe Boys (1993).
Beatty received an Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance inFriendly Fire (1979)oppositeCarol Burnett,and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Family Channel'sLast Train Home (1989).Other notable credits includeThe Wool Cap (2004),The Execution of Private Slovik (1974),A Woman Called Golda (1982),Pray TV (1982),the miniseriesRobert Kennedy and His Times (1985),Lockerbie: A Night Remembered (1998)andT Bone N Weasel (1992).He also had a recurring role onRoseanne (1988)and performed musically on television specials forDolly Partonand The Smothers Brothers.
In 2001, Beatty returned to his theatrical roots starring in London's West End revival production ofTennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" withBrendan Fraser.He also appeared in the production on Broadway in 2003/2004 withJason PatricandAshley Judd.In 2006, Beatty completed three features to be released next year:The Walker (2007);Paul Schrader's film also starringWoody Harrelson,Kristin Scott ThomasandLily Tomlin;Paramount Pictures'Shooter (2007)starringMark Wahlberg;andCharlie Wilson's War (2007),Mike Nichols's film withTom Hanks,Philip Seymour HoffmanandJulia Roberts.Also in the 21st century, Beatty turned out a terrific performance in the popularWhere the Red Fern Grows (2003).Blessed with eight children, Ned Beatty enjoyed golf and playing the bass guitar. He gave himself until the age of 70 to become proficient at both. He died at age 83 of natural causes on June 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Ned Thomas Beatty was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Margaret (Fortney) and Charles William Beatty. He grew up fishing and working on farms. His hometown of St. Matthews, Kentucky, is hardly the environment to encourage a career in the entertainment industry, though, so when asked, "How did you get into show business?" Beatty responded, "By hanging out with the wrong crowd." That "crowd" includes some of the industry's most prominent names, such asJohn Huston,Steven Spielberg,Robert Altman,Paul Newman,Richard Burton,Charlton Heston,Marlon BrandoandRobert Redford.
Beatty garnered praise from both critics and peers as a dedicated actor's actor. He started as a professional performer at age ten, when he earned pocket money singing in gospel quartets and a barber shop. The big city and bright lights did not come easy, though. The first ten years of Beatty's career were spent at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia. He then moved on to the Erie Playhouse in Pennsylvania, the Playhouse Theater in Houston, Texas, and the prestigious Arena Stage Company in Washington, D.C. He was also a member of Shakespeare in Central Park, Louisville, Kentucky. Later, he appeared in the Broadway production of "The Great White Hope". At the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, he won rave reviews when he starred in "The Accidental Death of an Anarchist."
In 1971, Beatty was chosen by directorJohn Boormanfor the role of Bobby Trippe in the hit film/backwoods nightmareDeliverance (1972).Co-starBurt Reynoldsand Beatty struck up a friendship, and Ned was then cast by Burt in several other films together, includingWhite Lightning (1973),W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975),and the abysmalStroker Ace (1983).Ned's talents were also noticed by others in Hollywood and he was cast in many key productions of the 1970s turning in stellar performance, including an Academy Award nomination of Best Supporting Actor for his role inNetwork (1976).Beatty was also marvelous inNashville (1975),under fire from a crazed sniper inThe Deadly Tower (1975),an undercover FBI man in the action comedySilver Streak (1976),as Lex Luthor's bumbling assistant, Otis, in the blockbusterSuperman (1978)... and he returned again withGene Hackmanto play Otis and Lex Luthor again inSuperman II (1980).
Beatty continued to remain busy throughout the 1980s with appearances in several big budget television productions includingThe Last Days of Pompeii (1984).However, the overall caliber of the productions in general did not match up to those he had appeared in during the 1970s. Nonetheless, Beatty still shone in films includingThe Big Easy (1986)andThe Fourth Protocol (1987).Into the 1990s, Beatty's work output swung between a mixture of roles in family orientated productions (Gulliver's Travels (1996),Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1990),etc.) taking advantage of his "fatherly" type looks, but he could still accentuate a hard edge, and additionally was cast inRadioland Murders (1994)andJust Cause (1995).His many other films includeThe Toy (1982),All the President's Men (1976),Wise Blood (1979),Rudy (1993),Spring Forward (1999),Hear My Song (1991)-- for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor --Prelude to a Kiss (1992),He Got Game (1998)andCookie's Fortune (1999).Beatty's numerous television credits include three years on the NBC seriesHomicide: Life on the Street (1993),Streets of Laredo (1995)andThe Boys (1993).
Beatty received an Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance inFriendly Fire (1979)oppositeCarol Burnett,and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Family Channel'sLast Train Home (1989).Other notable credits includeThe Wool Cap (2004),The Execution of Private Slovik (1974),A Woman Called Golda (1982),Pray TV (1982),the miniseriesRobert Kennedy and His Times (1985),Lockerbie: A Night Remembered (1998)andT Bone N Weasel (1992).He also had a recurring role onRoseanne (1988)and performed musically on television specials forDolly Partonand The Smothers Brothers.
In 2001, Beatty returned to his theatrical roots starring in London's West End revival production ofTennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" withBrendan Fraser.He also appeared in the production on Broadway in 2003/2004 withJason PatricandAshley Judd.In 2006, Beatty completed three features to be released next year:The Walker (2007);Paul Schrader's film also starringWoody Harrelson,Kristin Scott ThomasandLily Tomlin;Paramount Pictures'Shooter (2007)starringMark Wahlberg;andCharlie Wilson's War (2007),Mike Nichols's film withTom Hanks,Philip Seymour HoffmanandJulia Roberts.Also in the 21st century, Beatty turned out a terrific performance in the popularWhere the Red Fern Grows (2003).Blessed with eight children, Ned Beatty enjoyed golf and playing the bass guitar. He gave himself until the age of 70 to become proficient at both. He died at age 83 of natural causes on June 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Remembering Ned Beatty (1937-2021)
Remembering Ned Beatty (1937-2021)
We look back on the incredible career ofNed Beatty,known for his roles inNetwork,Deliverance,andSuperman.
