According to his manager, Deborah Miller, Beatty passed away Sunday amid loved ones at his home in Los Angeles. In a career that lasted more than four decades, Beatty was a well-known character actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for the Paddy Chayefsky film Network, playing corporate executive Arthur Jensen, who delivers a stirring three-minute monologue. In its review, The New York Times declared his performance “beautifully played” and called him “the mouthpiece for some of Mr. Chayefsky’s bluntest thoughts about the current state of the wealth of nations.” Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Beatty performed in over 150 TV shows and movies. He also had a thriving career on stage starring as Big Daddy in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. His portrayal of Bobby Trippe, who is assaulted and abused, on a boating outing in Deliverance also won him accolades. That 1972 film helped launch his career. Beatty’s other memorable movies includes All The President’s Men, The Front Page, Nashville, The Big Easy and Toy Story 3. His turn as Irish tenor Josef Locke in the 1991 film Hear My Song is the stuff of legend. A father to eight children, Beatty is also survived by his wife Sandra Johnson. Throughout his career he loved being a character actor and chose that path over having star billing. “Stars never want to throw the audience a curveball, but my great joy is throwing curveballs,” he told The New York Times. “Being a star cuts down on your effectiveness as an actor because you become an identifiable part of a product and somewhat predictable. You have to mind your P’s and Q’s and nurture your fans. But I like to surprise the audience, to do the unexpected.” Next, sad movies to watch on Netflix right now.
