Character actor Ned Beatty passed away on Sunday at the age of 83. Due to his lack of star power and his appearance as an everyday guy, he was cast as supporting characters, such as best friends and background figures;
he also portrayed bureaucrats and government officials. Before retiring quietly in 2013, he appeared in 165 films and television shows, and he was always on task; some projects were outstanding, while others were less so, but Beatty always shone. Here are a couple of his best moments, and where you can see them in action.
1972 ‘Deliverance’
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John Boorman’s film version of James Dickey’s novel of the same name marked Beatty’s film debut. To brilliant effect, Beatty portrays one of four Atlanta businessmen on a camping trip in the backwoods of Georgia as someone who is completely out of his element among his outdoor-loving friends.
To add to his humiliation, he is raped at gunpoint by a group of out-of-towners who make a point of harassing and attacking visitors to their town. This scene is one of the most distressing of its time. Beatty proved equal to the challenge, portraying the character’s immense anguish and regret with gut-wrenching realism in this difficult part.
1976 Movie Review: “All the President’s Men”
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Director Alan J. Pakula and screenwriter William Goldman had to juggle a dizzying array of names, faces, and relationships in dramatising how Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein broke the story of the Watergate burglary and subsequent cover-up. Beatty was a smart choice for many of these roles, as he was able to leave an impression even in the shortest of appearances.
An investigator at a Florida state attorney’s office, Martin Dardis, aides Bernstein in tying a Watergate thief to the Committee to Re-Elect the President. Rather from portraying Bernstein as a fellow truth-seeker, Beatty portrays him as an intruder and a nuisance in this scenario instead of a whistleblower.
For decades, Beatty was known for his teddy bear size and kind demeanour, but some of his most intriguing performances have flipped that reputation on its head. Elaine May’s crime drama/character study, in which Peter Falk and John Cassavetes are in fine form, is a perfect example of his type of work.
1976 ‘Network’
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As well as “All the President’s Men” and “Mikey and Nicky” (along with “Silver Streak,” Gator, and “The Big Bus”), 1976 was also the year that Sidney Lumet and Paddy Chayefsky’s stinging media satire “The Big Bus” was released.
For this role, Beatty garnered his only Oscar nomination. Arthur Jensen, CEO of the media company that controls the television network at the heart of the plot, appears in only one scene. With each passing year, it sounds less and less like satire.
1980 Hopscotch’
On the Criterion Channel, you may watch the film online. Amazon and Apple allow you to rent or buy movies and TV shows.
Despite the fact that Beatty didn’t play many villains, he didn’t hold back when he had the opportunity. He uses clever vulgarity and wormy authoritarianism, and worst of all, he makes an enemy of Walter Matthau’s Miles Kendig — who then spends the rest of the movie utilising his spycraft to humiliate Myerson’s old boss.
As a result, there is great joy in watching Myerson get his comeuppance in Beatty’s Myerson. To Beatty’s credit, none of his residual good will hinders the picture or our rooting interest for its hero, Kendig.
1989-94 ‘Roseanne’
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Beatty, like many of his contemporaries, turned to television in his latter years, starring in “Homicide: Life on the Street” for two seasons and being nominated for an Emmy for his work in the TV movie “Last Train Home.”
“Roseanne,” in which he had a few recurring roles, was his most popular television role, as Ed Conner, the father of John Goodman’s Dan Conner on the show. Goodman would go on to develop a style of emotional (though underrated) character acting in the years to come, and this casting was almost like a passing of the torch.
1993 ‘Rudy’
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As Rudy Ruettiger’s (Sean Astin) father, Daniel Ruettiger (Beatty), could be seen as obstructive or even malicious in the hands of a lesser performer. That doesn’t mean that Beatty doesn’t have his heart in the right place; he just doesn’t want to see any harm done to his son (emotionally or physically).
No one, however, cheers more enthusiastically than Rudy’s beloved father when he achieves a minor victory. Because of Beatty’s role in helping to deliver “Rudy’s” final emotional punch, it has rightfully been dubbed the “ultimate sports weepie”.
2010 In ‘Toy Story 3,’
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Even though it was a voice-only performance in a Pixar sequel, one of Beatty’s final parts was one of his most challenging, even though it was a voice-only performance.
When he first meets the Sunnyside Daycare toys as Lotso, the lovable teddy bear that greets them with open arms, Warren Beatty gives off an air of warmth and friendliness that is eventually revealed to be a front for bitter, cruel vindictiveness at the character’s core.
A reminder of Beatty’s ability to bring depth and nuance to every character, even late in his career and inside a family business, is provided.
