George Kennedy, the Oscar-winning character actor whose screen career spanned seven decades and included Cool Hand Luke, The Naked Gun movies and Dallas, has died. He was 91.
His grandson, Cory Schenkel, told CNN that Kennedy passed away on Sunday morning in Idaho, "due to old age and some health issues".
Kennedy won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1968 for his performance as hard-man-with-a-heart Dragline in the classic, Paul Newman-starring prison drama Cool Hand Luke.
Kennedy's range as an actor was exemplary - he was chilling as vicious criminal Red Leary opposite Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot and hilarious as Leslie Nielsen's sidekick Ed Hocken in the Naked Gun franchise.
His many other film credits included Death on the Nile, The Eiger Sanction, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Flight of the Phoenix, Spartacus and the Airport movies. His last big screen outing was 2014's Mark Wahlberg-starring The Gambler.
On television, Kennedy was best known for his role as Carter McKay in Dallas, but his small screen career also included other iconic series such as The Phil Silvers Show, Bonanza, Gunsmoke and The Virginian.
A World War II veteran of German, Irish and English ancestry, the New Yorker was from a showbiz family and made his acting debut as a child. After 16 years in the US Army, he became an adviser on The Phil Silvers Show and then started appearing onscreen.
RIP George Kennedy. Was an honor to work with and my condolences to your family and loved ones.
— Mark Wahlberg (@mark_wahlberg) March 1, 2016
RIP George Kennedy. Always great in drama, always great in comedy. A true talent.
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) February 29, 2016
Had the great honor & privilege of working with George Kennedy on The Commish. He told so many amazing stories & we laughed...a lot. RIP
— Michael Chiklis (@MichaelChiklis) February 29, 2016
RIP George Kennedy. Too many great movies for 1 tweet: The Dirty Dozen, Cool Hand Luke, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot, Modern Romance & many more.
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) March 1, 2016
