Ned Beatty, ‘Superman’ & ‘Network’ Actor, Dies At 83

Ned Beatty, star of Superman and Network, died at 83 on Sunday of natural causes. A representative for the actor said Beatty was surrounded by his family; his death was not caused by COVID-19, but his family decided to keep other details private.

The actor was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1937. He began performing at 10, where his career in theater began. Beatty starred in London’s West End revival production of playwright Tennessee Williams‘ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, alongside Brendan Fraser.

Beatty was well-known for his role in Sydney Lumet’s movie, Network in which he portrayed communications executive Arthur Jensen. His role in the movie was brief, but his speech to Howard Beale (Peter Finch) got him a Supporting Actor nomination at the Academy Awards.

Beatty appeared in the 1978 Superman movie and its sequel as Lex Luthor’s (Gene Hackman) sidekick Otis. Once called “the busiest actor in Hollywood,” he appeared in many films including Deliverance, The Big Easy, All the President’s Men, Rudy and Hear My Song.

Beatty was also recognized for his TV work; he won an Emmy nomination for Best Actor with Carol Burnett for his performance in Friendly Fire and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in Last Train Home.

Later in his career, the actor appeared in Charlie Wilson’s War starring Tom Hanks and worked with him again for Pixar’s Toy Story 3, where he voiced the movie’s villain, Lotso. One of his final on-screen appearances was in 2013, in the film Baggage Claim.