American actor Ned Beatty has passed away recently of natural causes. He was 83 years old.
Beatty is most widely known as the star of several films such as Deliverance and Network. He also had a notable roles in 1970s television shows such as The Waltons and Laverne and Shirley.
He was born on October 4th, 1941 to Lois May (Edwards) and Bob Beatty. Ned grew up in Illinois with his sister, Nancy. His father was killed when Mr Beatty was just five years old following an accident at work.
It is unclear when he first became interested in acting but it could have been during his days in school where he completed studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
He started off his acting career in 1969 and since then, he appeared in dozens of TV shows and films. He is perhaps most known for his role as Lewis Medlock in 1972’s adventure drama-thriller film Deliverance and as Arthur Jensen in 1995’s crime thriller film Network. He made guest appearances on many TV shows such as Medical Center and The Waltons.
Though he was regularly known for his roles in films and TV, Beatty’s first major role was that of Woody Jason on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. He also had a notable role as Slim in 1975 comedy film Fun with Dick and Jane. In addition to this, he also had parts in M * A * S* H, Serpico and The Big Easy.
Ned Beatty is survived by his wife Jane Robinson. They married in 1977 and together they had a son named Robert Beatty (born 1979). He also has another son from a previous relationship with Darryl Montana. It’s unknown if he had any other children or if he was ever married before.
It is understood that his memorial service will take place in Carbondale, Illinois where he spent most of the time when growing up. Some sections of his family still reside in that area which includes a brother and a sister. These two siblings are expected to attend his memorial service. He is expected to be buried next to his mother and father in Oak Hill Cemetery of Carbondale, Illnois.
Beatty was not religious but he had an interest in Buddhism and Eastern philosophy. His wife was known to introduce him to books by the Dalai Lama and he read them with great interest.
He was known to be a big animal lover and he actively supported several non-profit organizations which protect endangered species. He also helped these organizations save dogs by holding yearly adoption events at his home in California.
Beatty became more recognized once again following the release of 2010 film The Hunt for Red October. The
film is an adaptation of Tom Clancy’s 1984 Cold War novel which tells the story of a hunt for a Russian defecting submarine. Ned Beatty played the role of US Senator # 1 alongside other prominent actors such as Sean Connery, James Earl Jones and Scott Glenn.
Though he received several awards during his lifetime, Mr Beatty was never nominated for an Oscar. He was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in Network but the Academy Award never followed suit.
