“From the moment Mr Beatty first shows up in the play, he brings with him the invigorating
breeze of passionate, scrupulously detailed acting.”
Tributes keep pouring in for the scene-stealing veteran actor who has passed away surrounded
by his family and loved ones at the age of 83.
Ned Beatty felt like somebody you knew.
He had that incredible energy that allowed him to jump from genre to genre and be one
of film history’s best character actors.
So, when Beatty showed up in a project, it led to a smile.
After news of his passing was made public, tributes have come pouring in for the esteemed
actor from fans and colleagues.
“To me, Ned Beatty is what a career in screen acting is all about.
I can’t think of one thing he was in that he didn’t make better,” said journalist
Mark Harris.
“Just heard that Ned Beatty passed away in his sleep,” said Lee Unkrich, who directed
Ned as Lots-O'-Huggin’ Bear in Toy Story 3.
“It was a joy and an incredible honour to work with him.
Thanks, Ned, for bringing Lotso to life — both his good side and his not-so-good side.
We’ll miss you.”
One of the roles for which Beatty is most revered was as Arthur Jensen in the 1976 film
Network.
Despite only appearing on screen a few times, he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination
at the Academy Awards for his performance.
GLOW’s Marc Maron shared a sweet tribute to the star, tweeting: “RIP Ned Beatty.
One of the all-time best.”
The actor added an animation of Beatty in his Oscar-nominated role, yelling “you will
atone” from Network.
Superbad writer and comedian Seth Rogan shared a link to a full clip of the same iconic speech,
as he lovingly wrote: “RIP Ned Beatty.
Here’s one of the greatest monologues ever in a movie...”
Ralph Macchio, the star of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, tweeted: “Ned Beatty.
Superb character actor – my fave being his brilliantness in NETWORK (one of the greatest
screenplays and films of all time).
So ahead of its time.
And the same for Mr Beatty.
RIP.”
Many people wondered if Ned Beatty was related to Warren Beatty.
Actually he wasn’t.
Although, he would joke that he was Warren’s “illegitimate uncle”.
He might not be related to Shirley MacLaine’s brother, but one of the most prolific actors
was married four times and had eight children.
Raised in a small town in Kentucky, Beatty developed an interest in the arts through
singing in his church and a local barbershop quartet.
The actor even got a singing scholarship before falling in love with the world of make-believe.
He made his stage debut at 19 in a historical pageant production.
Beatty climbed the ladder up to the theatre scene before making his film debut in the
1972 film Deliverance.
The Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds thriller became a massive hit, shocking audiences all
the way to three Oscar nominations.
The actor used Deliverance as a launchpad to constant work on film and TV.
His next major project came in 1975 when Beatty appeared in a satirical comedy-drama, Nashville.
That project was quickly followed by arguably his best work of that era in Network.
So much of the drama feels like it reflects media culture, but Beatty’s cynical chairman
of the board may have been the most ahead of his time.
The credits from there on out are simply remarkable.
Ned even took his place in superhero history by starring as the supervillain’s henchman
Otis in Superman.
Perhaps it was the quirkiness of that role that did it, but Beatty primarily played funny
scene-stealers in the ’80s.
The actor Jon Cryer, who plays Lex Luthor on the TV show Supergirl, paid a tribute to
Beatty’s performances in the Superman films, tweeting: ‘“Otisburg…?”‘, along
with the hashtag: ‘#RIPNedBeatty.’
While some of his projects in the ’90s didn’t match his talents, he would still regularly
find ways to work with major forces, including the team behind Homicide: Life on the Street,
Spike Lee’s He Got Game, and many more.
He even won a Drama Desk Award for his work in a West End revival of Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof as the legendary Big Daddy.
Most recently, the beloved actor lent his fantastic voice to two of the biggest animated
films of their era, stealing scenes in Toy Story 3 and Rango.
The actor worked so consistently for five decades, typically with multiple credits a
year; who could blame him for retiring in 2013?
He had long ago made his mark on film history.
Ned Beatty left a list of films that will be watched for generations to come.
People will be smiling when he makes his first appearance for a long time, nodding their
head as if they’re seeing an old friend.
What is your favourite film starring this incredible actor?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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