Ned Beatty (1937-2021)
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 5:00PM by Nathaniel R
Oscar, Emmy, and Globe nominee Ned Beatty (Network) passed away on Sunday, just a few weeks shy of his 84th birthday. It's a mark of his sturdy career and reliability as as character actor that all three of those showbiz institutions honored him for different performances. Since he was always more of an actor than a celebrity, we thought it best to look to his characters to commemorate. After the jump, eleven key roles from his impressive career...
"Bobby" in DELIVERANCE (1972)
It's quite something to debut in a major role in a Best Picture nominee. Even if Beatty hadn't made another picture thereafter he'd be remembered for this enduring classic. Part of that is of course the harrowing rape scene where Beatty is famously asked to squeal like a pig when the protagonists are attacked by monstrous locals during their river trip. The film was a smash hit at the box office and it started Beatty's long professional relationship with Burt Reynolds. The two actors would co-star in several films together over the next decade plus.
"Tector Crites" in THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN (1972) / "Judge Roy Bean" in THE STREETS OF LAREDO (1995)
One of the most interesting though rare full circle beats of a long career is when a character somehow reoccurs outside of sequels. Beatty was way down the cast list of Paul Newman star vehicle western in '72 but twenty-three years later he played Newman's previous titular role in a television miniseries. Interestingly enough the latter was nominated by both the Casting Society of America and the Emmys for its casting work but none of its actors were singled out for awards.
"Delbert Reese" in NASHVILLE (1975)
While Beatty isn't at all the focal point of his scenes in this Robert Altman masterpiece, where he played Lily Tomlin's clueless husband, it's a fine example of how perfect he was for ensemble films. The actor rarely showboated but seamlessly added to the tapestry. He would later work with Altman again for Cookie's Fortune (1999).
"Arthur Jensen" in NETWORK (1976)
Network is another example of his ensemble use but the opposite kind where he is expected to showboat instead of blend-in. Beatty appears in only seven minutes of this masterpiece but he was so electric speaking to the Board at the network that he received his one and only Oscar nomination for it.
"Otis" in SUPERMAN (1978)
The highest grossing film of his career was this charming precursor to today's blockbusters in which audiences were promised "You will believe a man can fly". They did... and in droves. In the superhero adventure he played Lex Luthor's (Gene Hackman) bumbling comic-relief henchman. If Lex Luthor was such a brainy genius shouldn't he have hired a more capable assistant? Beatty reprised this role briefly, imprisoned, in the sequel in 1980.
"Ed Conner" in ROSEANNE (1989-1994)
Beatty first appeared in Roseanne's very first season in an episode appropriately titled "Father's Day" since he was playing Dan's (John Goodman) dad. Unlike his fellow Oscar-nominated Roseanne alum Estelle Parsons (who played Roseanne's mom) he was not a frequent guest. He only popped up in a couple episodes in seasons 3 and 6 as well, but was another addition to the rich ensemble in that seminal sitcom.
"Josef Locke" in HEAR MY SONG (1991)
His final awards recognition came courtesy of the Golden Globes for his performance as a famous Irish tenor who a failing club seeks out to restore some success to their humble club. While the Globes honored him, most of the praise for the film centered around it's then brand new writer/director Peter Chelsom.
"Daniel Ruettiger" in RUDY (1993)
Beatty played the father of the titular character Rudy (Sean Astin) in this early 90s sleeper hit. It's still a beloved inspirational sports films for those who are into that subgenre.
"Big Daddy" in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (2003/2004)
While Beatty was not a stage regular, he co-starred in one of the three revivals of this classic Tennessee William's play this century. Curiously all three of them were not all that well received (the subsequent 2008 and 2014 revivals received zero Tony nominations). The bright spot, in terms of critical reception, of the three productions was Ned Beatty and Margo Martindale's work as "Big Daddy" and "Big Mama" respectively. Beatty won the Drama Desk Award while Margo Martindale was nominated but lost. Curiously, the Tony nominating committee skipped right over Beatty and only nominated Martindale.
"Lotso" in TOY STORY 3 (2010)
While Beatty made four live-action films (The Killer Inside Me, Rampart, The Big Ask, Baggage Claim) and one more animated film (Rango) in the final decade of his career, the highlight of his final years in film was unquestionably his already classic villain "Lotso" (short for Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear) in Pixar's Best Picture nominated tearfully resonant (shoulda-been-final) Toy franchise adventure. For his work Beatty received an MTV Award nomination as well as a Gold Medal right here at this site as "Villain of the Year".
Do you have a favourite Ned Beatty performance? Do you think he deserved more than that single Oscar nomination?
Reader Comments (21)
That scene in Network was amazing. Beatty told aspiring actors to not be afraid of small roles. He said that he worked for one day on Network and got nominated for an Oscar for it!
Another sad loss to the performing world. A wonderful actor, one you were always delighted to see enter a scene whether he was playing a good guy or a more nefarious type.
He WORKED. Considering he didn't make his screen debut until he was 35 he amassed a huge list of credits. He was great in dramas but his elfin quality was put to very good use in comedies. His dexterity and versatility were such that he could jump from the bumbling fool in Superman right into a sensitive performance as the anguished father whose son is killed by "Friendly Fire".
He was right to not be afraid of small roles, they certainly lead to memorable work from him. His small role in All the President's Men along with an equally notable Polly Holliday made that small piece of the mosaic of the picture jump out in what could have been just another scene of fact gathering. He would do that again and again throughout his career.
Love him in Superman, a blast of a film that is everything a superhero movie should be, he's goofy but you can never dislike him even if he's playing a supposed bad guy.
So many great performances to choose from but I think his best showcase was Hear My Song. He will be missed.
He was great as "The Big Man" Stanley Bolander on Homicide: Life on the Street, the perfect foil for Richard Belzer's John Munch. I found The Golden Palace on YouTube recently (the unsuccessful Golden Girls follow up series) and he was excellent as Blanche's mentally disabled brother.
His Tony snub wasn't a huge shock - he landed himself in hot water with some disparaging comments about costars Ashley Judd and Jason Patric.
RIP to a very prolific talent.
Ned Beatty in my opinion is in a rare class of actors. You could put this man in some of the worst films out there but you know he's going to the best thing in that film. He's one of those guys that basically.... can't suck. That's why he was so memorable. I loved in the first 2 Superman movies and always enjoyed whatever he appears in such as Rudy as it is a film that holds a special place in my heart because it's my dad's favorite movie. He pretty much could play any character and just make it his own. I loved his performance as Lotso as he brought a lot of layers to that character with his voice. He was the first true villain in a Pixar film and his backstory was chilling. A toy that got lost and got angry because he was replaced and then decided to go to a daycare and rule the place as a dictator. The scene where Woody, Buzz, and the gang are in the dumpster trying to flee from the incinerator and Lotso climbing up to stop it. Instead, he goes "where's your kid now sheriff?"
I was like "oh fuck you!" Oh man, what Lotso did was evil but I loved what happened to him in the end as he got a fate far worse than any other toy.
Thank you Ned. We will miss you.
The thing about him to me is that he was just solid, even in many basically average productions. He was that reliable guy in The Big Easy or Silver Streak or Gray Lady Down - not like an awards-y actor but someone who’d fill out a film, lots of quite different films, in ways that worked and audiences would enjoy. It’s a pretty cool career to have had.
As to favorites, he was a lot of fun in Superman but I’ve got to go with his stint on Homicide. A top-notch performance.
Better to be supporting in a great movie (like Beatty) than leading in a bad one (redacted). And the kind that steals the scene, the whole movie. RIP.
The concept of supporting actor has changed since then. Today, with "only" seven minutes he would never be nominated for Network, in his place would be one of the leading actors, Holden or Finch, in another flagrant case of category fraud. The magnificent Ned Beatty could have been nominated for Deliverance or Superman too.
"If Lex Luthor was such a brainy genius shouldn't he have hired a more capable assistant?"
Smart people like to have "not-so-bright people" around to make them feel smarter. The same logic applies to pretty people with ugly ones and healthy people with the sick ones.
RIP Ned Beatty.
no disrespect but i spent most of his career conflating him with charles durning
A marvelous talent. His performance in Network is a work of precision. He was also terrific in Promises in the Dark in 1979, playing a terminal patient's despairing father opposite Marsha Mason's compassionate doctor.
"Squeal, Piggy, Squeal!" It must be stated - almost all Obits referenced "Deliverance", with some also headlining "Superman" and "Network." But the first is towering, Best Picture nominee, too.
He briefly stole MIKEY AND NICKY away from John Cassavetes and Peter Falk and THAT'S saying something.
I loved him in everything but particularly Homicide, as Dan's dad on Roseanne and that amazing scene in Network.
Also now that Beatty is no longer with us, who will give Lotso the Cruella treatment he deserves with his own villain/anti hero back story?
Scene from network is always great and his part in Superman as Otis was always my favorite. Rudy’s dad too.
Deliverance -quite a debut- and Network -a monologue for the ages-. Also his Otis in Superman, the only good superheroe movie.
Agreed on Otis, he was so good as lex luthors sidekick
One of Beatty's best performances is in Spring Forward a largely unknown film from 2000 that gave him a starring role beside Liev Schreiber. The film takes place over the course of a year, and Beatty plays a man whose estranged son is dying of AIDS and how he deals with his feelings about his son and his son's homosexuality. It's a very small, very fine film.
Also, Hear My Song is a real gem and definitely worth seeking out.
There's a reason for that CAT Tonys snub - he insisted on a Lead campaign.
Network should have won the 4 acting awards that year. And Picture. And Director. And Screenplay. And Film Editing. WHAT-A-MOVIE.
His 5 minute monologue in Network is simply stunning. Epic! May he RIP.