Richard_Farnsworth

Richard Farnsworth

Richard Farnsworth

American actor (1920–2000)

This article is about the American actor. For the English 17th-century Quaker, see Richard Farnsworth (Quaker). For the American politician from Maine, see Richard Farnsworth (politician).

Richard William Farnsworth (September 1, 1920 – October 6, 2000) was an American actor and stuntman. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award: in 1978 for Best Supporting Actor for Comes a Horseman, and in 2000 for Best Actor in The Straight Story, making him the oldest nominee for the award at the time.[1][2] Farnsworth was also known for his performances in The Grey Fox (1982), for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, as well as Anne of Green Gables (1985); Sylvester (1985), and Misery (1990).

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Early life

Farnsworth was born on September 1, 1920, in Los Angeles, California. His mother was a homemaker and his father was an engineer.[3]

Career

Farnsworth gradually moved into acting in Western movies. 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). In 1960, credited as Dick Farnsworth, he appeared as a Gault ranch hand in the "Street of Hate" episode of the TV Western Laramie.

He received his first acting credit in 1963 and went on to act in Western films and television shows. He had a role in Roots (1977) and co-starred with Wilford Brimley in The Boys of Twilight (1992). His breakthrough came when he played stagecoach robber Bill Miner in the 1982 Canadian film,The Grey Fox. He appeared as a baseball coach in The Natural (1984). In 1985, he was the brother to Marilla and father figure to Anne in Anne of Green Gables and starred as a soft-spoken, sage cowboy with horse training wisdom for Melissa Gilbert in Sylvester.[4] His other prominent roles included a wealthy and ruthless oil man in The Two Jakes (1990) and the suspicious sheriff in the film version of Stephen King's Misery (1990).

Personal life and death

Farnsworth had a long marriage and had two children. After becoming a widower, he lived on a ranch in Lincoln, New Mexico.[5]

On the night of October 6, 2000, suffering from terminal cancer that left him partially paralyzed and in great pain, Farnsworth died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his ranch in Lincoln, New Mexico.[6]

Awards and nominations

Comes a Horseman (1979)

The Grey Fox (1982)

Anne of Green Gables (1985)

  • Gemini Award for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor (won)

Chase (1985)

The Straight Story (1999)

Note: Farnsworth was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1997. In addition, Farnsworth received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for his contributions in the motion pictures on August 17, 1992; the star is located at 1560 Vine Street.[7][8]

Filmography

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Television

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References

  1. [1]
    Associated Press (October 8, 2000). "Richard Farnsworth, Stunt Man And 2-Time Oscar Nominee, 80". The New York Times. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  2. [2]
    "Richard Farnsworth, 80, Dies". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  3. [3]
    An L.M Montgomery Resource Page. "Richard Farnsworth". Tickledorange.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  4. [4]
    Tibbetts, John C. (September 15, 2015). Those Who Made It: Speaking with the Legends of Hollywood. Springer. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-137-54191-8.
  5. [5]
    Jensen, Jeff (October 20, 2000). "A Cowboy's Way". Entertainment Weekly.
  6. [6]
    Silverman, Stephen M. (July 16, 1998). "Richard Farnsworth: Suicide". People. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009.
  7. [7]
    "Richard Farnsworth | Hollywood Walk of Fame". www.walkoffame.com. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  8. [8]
    "Richard Farnsworth". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 23, 2016.

Further reading
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