Richard Farnsworth

Richard Farnsworth

Born: September 1, 1920
Died: October 6, 2000 (at age 80)
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Popularity:
Biography

Richard W. Farnsworth (September 1, 1920 - October 6, 2000) was an American actor and stuntman. His film career began in 1937; however, he achieved his greatest success for his performances in The Grey Fox (1982) and The Straight Story (1999), for which he received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Early life

Farnsworth was born in Los Angeles, California, to a housewife mother and an engineer father. He was raised during the Great Depression. He lived with his aunt, mother, and two sisters in downtown Los Angeles after his father died when he was seven years old.

Career

He was working as a stable hand at a polo field in Los Angeles for six dollars a week when he was offered a chance to make seven dollars a day plus a box lunch as a stuntman. In 1937, when he was sixteen, he started by riding horses in films such as The Adventures of Marco Polo with Gary Cooper. He performed several horse-riding stunts in such films as the Marx Brothers' A Day at the Races (1937) and Gunga Din (1939).

What differentiated Farnsworth from other western actors was his gradual transition into acting from stunt work. He made uncredited appearances in numerous films, including Gone with the Wind (1939), Red River (1948), The Wild One (1953), and The Ten Commandments (1956). He was on the set of Spartacus (1960) for eleven months. He laughed when he said he did not look like a gladiator but drove a chariot. However, it was not until 1963 that he finally received his first acting credit.

Farnsworth's acting career largely consisted of western films, although he did appear in a number of television shows. He was in 1977 television miniseries Roots, he won a Gemini Award for his performance as Matthew Cuthbert in the 1985 Canadian miniseries Anne of Green Gables and he co-starred with Wilford Brimley in the short-lived but critically acclaimed 1992 summer replacement The Boys of Twilight. In 1979, Farnsworth was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Comes a Horseman. However, his breakthrough came when he played stagecoach robber Bill Miner in the 1982 Canadian film The Grey Fox, for which he won a Genie Award. He appeared as a baseball coach in The Natural in 1984, and . Another of his prominent roles was as a suspicious sheriff in the film version of Stephen King's Misery (1990), a character that was created exclusively for the movie.

Farnsworth became well known in the Pacific Northwest for portraying the groundskeeper who saw the mythical "Artesians" in the 1980s Olympia Beer ad campaign.

In 1999, Farnsworth was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for The Straight Story. When director David Lynch offered him the role, Farnsworth had no idea who he was. Farnsworth did not like violence or swearing, and Lynch assured him that there would be none of that in the movie. The lead role was a rarity for a man his age.

Farnsworth has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street. In 1997, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Personal life and death

Farnsworth was married to Margaret "Maggie" Hill (who died in 1985) for 38 years. They had two children, Diamond and Missy. He moved to Lincoln, New Mexico, where he owned a 60-acre (240,000 m2) ranch and was involved in the community and was well-liked.

Toward the end of his life, he met Jewely Van Valin, a stewardess 35 years his junior. Farnsworth and Van Valin started riding horses together, and later became engaged. Farnsworth was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in the early 1990s. He was eventually diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, which left him partially paralyzed and unable to walk. On October 6, 2000, Farnsworth committed suicide by shooting himself at his ranch. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California in the Columbarium of Purity, N-63294 alongside his wife, Margaret Hill Farnsworth (1919-1985).

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1937 Day at the Races, AA Day at the Races Jockey Uncredited
1938 Adventures of Marco Polo, TheThe Adventures of Marco Polo Mongol Warrior Uncredited
1939 Gunga Din Bit Part Uncredited
Gone with the Wind Soldier Uncredited
1943 This Is the Army Soldier Uncredited
1948 Red River Dunston Rider Uncredited
Paleface, TheThe Paleface Minor Role Uncredited
1949 Mighty Joe Young Cowboy Uncredited
1953 Arena Cowboy Uncredited
Arrowhead Cavalryman Uncredited
Wild One, TheThe Wild One Uncredited
1955 Violent Men, TheThe Violent Men Anchor Rider Uncredited
1956 Ten Commandments, TheThe Ten Commandments Chariot Driver Uncredited
1957 Tin Star, TheThe Tin Star Uncredited
{{{last}}}, The Hard ManThe Hard Man {{{last}}} Posse Man Uncredited
1960 Spartacus Salt Mine Slave / Gladiator / Slave General Uncredited
1963 Jolly Genie, TheThe Jolly Genie Thug Short film
1966 Duel at Diablo Wagon Driver #1 Uncredited
Texas Across the River Medicine Man
1968 Stalking Moon, TheThe Stalking Moon Uncredited
1970 Monte Walsh Cowboy
1972 Cowboys, TheThe Cowboys Henry Williams
Pocket Money Man Uncredited
Ulzana's Raid Trooper
Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, TheThe Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean Outlaw
1973 Soul of Nigger Charley, TheThe Soul of Nigger Charley Walker
Papillon Manhunter Uncredited
1974 Blazing Saddles Sheriff Uncredited
1975 Apple Dumpling Gang, TheThe Apple Dumpling Gang Mover Uncredited
1976 Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox, TheThe Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox Stagecoach Driver
Outlaw Josey Wales, TheThe Outlaw Josey Wales Comanchero Uncredited
1977 Another Man, Another Chance Stagecoach Driver
1978 Comes a Horseman Dodger National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
1980 Tom Horn John C. Coble
Ruckus Sheriff Jethro Pough
Resurrection Esco
1981 Legend of the Lone Ranger, TheThe Legend of the Lone Ranger Wild Bill Hickok
1982 Grey Fox, TheThe Grey Fox Bill Miner Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actor
London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year
Taormina Film Fest: Golden Mask
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Waltz Across Texas Frank Walker
1983 Independence Day Evan
1984 Natural, TheThe Natural Red Blow
Rhinestone Noah
1985 Into the Night Jack Caper
Sylvester Foster
Space Rage Colonel
1988 River Pirates, TheThe River Pirates Percy
1990 Two Jakes, TheThe Two Jakes Earl Rawley
Misery Buster
Havana Professor
1991 Highway to Hell Sam
1994 Getaway, TheThe Getaway Slim
Lassie Len Collins
1999 Straight Story, TheThe Straight Story Alvin Straight Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival: Best Actor
Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated - Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated - Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor

Television appearances

Year Title Role Notes
1951 Adventures of Kit Carson, TheThe Adventures of Kit Carson Henchman (uncredited) Episode: "Fury at Red Gulch"
Episode: "The Desperate Sheriff"
1954 Adventures of Kit Carson, TheThe Adventures of Kit Carson Army Wagon Driver Episode: "The Gatling Gun"
1955 Soldiers of Fortune Gaucho (uncredited) Episode: "The General"
1956 Zane Grey Theater Trooper Episode: "Star Over Texas"
1958 Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok Butler Episode: "Jingles on the Jailroad"
Cimarron City Ira Youngman Episode: "Twelve Guns", uncredited
1959 State Trooper Caleb Smith Episode: "Lonely Valley"
Rebel, TheThe Rebel Trooper Episode: "Yellow Hair"
1960 Wanted: Dead or Alive Rance
Hal
Episode: "The Partners"
Episode: "To the Victor"
Laramie Gault Ranch Hand
Manley (uncredited)
Episode: "Street of Hate"
Episode: "Ride into Darkness"
1961 Laramie Hank Episode: "The Tumbleweed Wagon"
1965 Big Valley, TheThe Big Valley Bolin Episode: "The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner"
1966 Big Valley, TheThe Big Valley Businessman Episode: "Image of Yesterday"
1967 Cimarron Strip Dusty Rhodes
Benefiel
Episode: "Journey to a Hanging"
Episode: "The Battleground"
1970 High Chaparral, TheThe High Chaparral Lloyd Episode: "The Long Shadow"
1971 Bonanza Sourdough Episode: "Top Hand"
1972 Bonanza Tate
Troy
Episode: "The Saddle Stiff"
Episode: "He Was Only Seven"
1974 Honky Tonk Driver TV movie
1975 Strange New World Elder TV movie
1977 Roots Slave Catcher TV miniseries
Little House on the Prairie Wall Episode: "Quarantine"
1981 Texas Rangers, TheThe Texas Rangers Ranger J.W. Stevens TV movie
Few Days in Weasel Creek, AA Few Days in Weasel Creek Jason Stayvey TV movie
Cherokee Trail, TheThe Cherokee Trail Ridge Fenton TV movie
1983 Travis McGee Van Harder TV movie
Ghost Dancing Russ Ward TV movie
1985 Wild Horses Chuck Reese TV movie
Chase Judge Grand Pettitt TV movie
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Anne of Green Gables Matthew Cuthbert TV movie
Gemini Award for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Carl Episode: "Travelin' Man"
Highway to Heaven Grandpa Jet Sanders Episode: "A Dream of Wild Horses"
1989 Red Earth, White Earth Helmer TV movie
Desperado: The Outlaw Wars Sheriff Campbell, Bisby Arizona TV movie
1992 Boys of Twilight, TheThe Boys of Twilight Cody McPherson TV series
1993 Fire Next Time, TheThe Fire Next Time Frank Morgan TV movie
1998 Best Friends for Life Will Harper TV movie

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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