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Geoffrey Lewis (actor)

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Geoffrey Lewis
Born
Geoffrey Bond Lewis

(1935-07-31)July 31, 1935
Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S.[1]
DiedApril 7, 2015(2015-04-07) (aged 79)
Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1953–2015
Spouses
  • Glenis Batley
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1973; div. 1975)​
  • Tracy Darroll
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1977; div. 1984)​
  • Paula Hochhalter
    ​
    (m. 1991)​
Children9, including Juliette

Geoffrey Bond Lewis (July 31, 1935 – April 7, 2015) was an American actor.[2] He appeared in more than 200 films and television shows, and was principally known for his film roles alongside Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford.[3] He often portrayed villains or quirky characters.

Life and career

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Lewis was born July 31, 1935, in Plainfield, New Jersey, but spent much of his youth in Wrightwood, California. He studied theater arts at San Bernardino Valley College for two years, then worked as a truck driver and at other odd jobs before launching his career as an actor. He took acting classes at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and performed off-Broadway and at regional theaters in Massachusetts.[4] He tried breaking into Hollywood in the 1960s.[5]

Lewis appeared in TV series including Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, Cannon,[6] Barnaby Jones, Mork & Mindy, The Golden Girls, Lou Grant, Mama's Family, Magnum, P.I., The A-Team, Titus, Murder, She Wrote, The X-Files, Little House on the Prairie, Highway to Heaven, Starsky & Hutch, Walker, Texas Ranger and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 1979, he appeared in Salem's Lot. He also played opposite Polly Holliday in the Alice spin-off Flo (1980–81)[5] for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.[4] He co-starred with Fred Dryer in Land's End (1995–96).

His film credits include such movies as Down in the Valley, The Butcher, Maverick, and When Every Day Was the Fourth of July.

Lewis worked frequently with actor-director Clint Eastwood in several films, including Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Pink Cadillac, Any Which Way You Can, Bronco Billy, Every Which Way but Loose, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and High Plains Drifter.[5][7]

In the 1980s, Lewis was also a member of musical storytelling group Celestial Navigations with musician and songwriter Geoff Levin.[8]

Personal life

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Lewis was married three times and had numerous children. Some news outlets reported he had nine surviving children, others, 10 children.[9] One of his children is actress Juliette Lewis[1] with whom he acted in at least two films, Blueberry and The Way of the Gun. His other children include his daughters Brandy, Hannah and Dierdre Lewis and Emily Colombier; his sons Peter, Lightfield, Miles and Matthew; and nine grandchildren.[10]

On April 7, 2015, he died of a heart attack at age 79. He had suffered the heart attack while working out at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, according to his family. Miles Lewis told Variety he had been suffering from Parkinson's disease and dementia.[11]

Filmography and television (selected)

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 The Fat Black Pussycat Man in Park Uncredited
1971 The Todd Killings Mr. Carpenter's son Uncredited
1971 Welcome Home, Soldier Boys Francis Rapture, Motel Owner
1972 Mannix Ernest Episode "Days Beyond Recall"
1972 The Culpepper Cattle Co. Russ
1972 Cannon James Bancroft Episode "Nobody Beats the House"
1972 Mannix Killer Episode "Cry Silence"
1972 Mission Impossible Lusk Episode "Committed"
1972 Moon of the Wolf Lawrence Burrifors
1972 Bad Company Hobbs
1973 High Plains Drifter Stacey Bridges
1973 Barnaby Jones Sheriff Otis Dale Episode "Murder-Go-Round"
1973 Dillinger Harry Pierpont
1973 My Name Is Nobody Leader of the Wild Bunch
1974 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Eddie Goody
1974 Macon County Line Hamp
1974 The Waltons Elwood Dobbs Episode "The Runaway"
1975 The Great Waldo Pepper Newt
1975 The Wind and the Lion Samuel Gummere
1975 Smile Wilson-Shears
1975 The Streets of San Francisco
1975 S.W.A.T. Episode “The Killing Ground” (premiere episode)
1975 Harry O Senator John Elton Episode "Mayday"
1975 Lucky Lady Captain Mosely
1975 Starsky & Hutch Allen "Monk" Philos Episode "The Fix"
1976 The Return of a Man Called Horse Zenas
1976 Little House on the Prairie Sam Galendar Episode "Bully Boys"
1976 Monster Squad The Skull Episode "The Skull"
1977 Barnaby Jones Earl Episode "The Captives"
1977 Hawaii Five-O Commander Nolan Episode "Deep Cover"
1977 Lou Grant Sheriff Episode "Henhouse"
1978 Shoot the Sun Down Scalphunter
1978 Silver Saddle 2 Strike Snake
1978 Every Which Way But Loose Orville Boggs
1979 Centennial Sheriff Bogardus
1979 Tilt Truck Driver
1979 Human Experiments Doctor Hans R. Kline
1979 The Jericho Mile Dr. Bill Janowski
1979 Salem's Lot Mike Ryerson
1980 Flo Earl Tucker TV series
1980 Barnaby Jones Waldon "Wally" Gannus Episode "The Killing Point"
1980 Tom Horn Walter Stoll
1980 Belle Starr Reverend Meeks
1980 Bronco Billy John Arlington
1980 Heaven's Gate Trapper Fred
1980 Any Which Way You Can Orville Boggs
1980 Lou Grant Jim Lawrence Episode "Dogs"
1982 I, the Jury Joe Butler
1982 The Shadow Riders Major Cooper Ashbury
1983 10 to Midnight Dave Dante
1983 Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. Janus
1983 Little House on the Prairie Cole Younger Episode "The Older Brothers"
1983 Mama's Family Claude Cainmaker "Alien Marriage" / "Mama's Silver"
1983 September Gun Sheriff Johnson
1984 Highway to Heaven Honest Eddie "Another Song for Christmas"
1984 Night of the Comet Carter
1985 Lust in the Dust Hard Case Williams
1985 The A-Team Colonel Mack Stoddard The Doctor is Out
1985 Stitches Ralph Rizzo
1986 Annihilator Professor Alan Jeffries
1986 MacGyver David Crane Episode "Silent World"
1987 The Golden Girls Chuck Episode "Empty Nests"
1987 Designing Women Dr. Davis Jackson Episode "Mary Jo's Dad Dates Charlene"
1988 Time Out Mr. Steve Smith
1988 Out of the Dark Dennis
1989 Fletch Lives KKK Leader
1989 Pink Cadillac Ricky Z
1989 Catch Me ...If You Can Mr. Johnson
1989 Tango & Cash Captain Schroeder Uncredited
1990 Gunsmoke: The Last Apache Bodine Television film
1990 Disturbed Michael Kahn
1991 Double Impact Frank Avery
1992 The Lawnmower Man Terry McKeen
1992 Wishman Hitchcock the Genie
1993 Point of No Return Drugstore Owner
1993 Joshua Tree Sheriff Cepeda
1993 The Man Without a Face Chief Wayne Stark
1993 Only the Strong Kerrigan
1994 White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf Heath
1994 National Lampoon's Last Resort Rex Carver
1994 Maverick Matthew Wicker / Eugene, Banker
1994 The Dragon Gate Shin'ichi
1994 Walker, Texas Ranger Sheriff Beau Langley Episode "Badge Of Honor"
1995 The Janitor Janitor Animated short, voice
1995 When the Dark Man Calls John "Parmenter" TV film
1996 An Occasional @#!*% Draper Jewett
1997 American Perfekt Willy
1997 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Luther Driggers
1999 The X-Files Alfred Fellig Episode "Tithonus"
1999 Five Aces Sloan
1999 Cousin Skeeter Zeek
2000 The Prophet's Game Guest #1
2000 The Way of the Gun Abner Mercer
2000 Highway 395
2001 Sunstorm Browner
2001 Titus Calvin Episode "Dave Joins the Army"
2002 A Light in the Darkness Stanley Melnick
2002 The New Guy Principal Zaylor
2003 Dawson's Creek Uncle Bill Episode "Rock Bottom"
2003 Mind Games Melvin Reeves
2003 A Painted House Mr. Spruill
2004 Blueberry Greg Sullivan (released in USA on DVD as Renegade)
2004 Plainsong Raymond McPheron Hallmark TV movie
2005 Social Guidance Lucky Marshall
2005 Down in the Valley Sheridan
2005 The Devil's Rejects Roy Sullivan
2006 Wild Hearts Hank Hallmark TV Movie
2006 Fingerprints Keeler
2006 Wicked Little Things Harold
2006 Criminal Minds Coroner Episode "The Boogeyman"
2007 Cold Ones Felton Jones
2007 Moving McAllister Crazy Old Martin Uncredited
2007 House, MD Older Man With Cancer Episode "One Day, One Room"
2008 I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell Lewis
2008 Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage Butch
2009 The Butcher Naylor
2010 Pickin' & Grinnin' Cletus
2010 Miss Nobody Mr. Ketchum
2012 Mommy's Little Monster Stanley Melnick
2016 Retreat! Sullivan
2018 High and Outside Len Harding (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ a b Slotnik, Daniel E. (April 9, 2015). "Geoffrey Lewis, Actor in Clint Eastwood Films, Dies at 79". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  2. ^ "Geoffrey Lewis – Filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-11-03.
  3. ^ Reyes, Traciy (April 8, 2015). "Geoffrey Lewis, Dead: Actor Known For Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood Movies Dies At Woodland Hills Home". Inquisitr. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  4. ^ a b Chawkins, Steve (April 8, 2015). "Geoffrey Lewis dies at 79; actor in several Clint Eastwood movies". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ a b c Geoffrey Lewis at IMDb
  6. ^ "Cannon" Nobody Beats the House (TV Episode 1972) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-09-21
  7. ^ Geoffrey Lewis profile, The New York Times; accessed April 8, 2015.
  8. ^ Barnes, Mike (April 7, 2015). "Geoffrey Lewis, Frequent Co-Star of Clint Eastwood, Dies at 79". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  9. ^ Oldenburg, Ann. "Character actor Geoffrey Lewis dies at 79". USA Today. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  10. ^ Slotnik, Daniel E. (10 April 2015). "Geoffrey Lewis, Actor in Clint Eastwood Films, Dies at 79". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  11. ^ Saperstein, Pat (8 April 2015). "Geoffrey Lewis, Actor in Clint Eastwood Movies, Dies at 79". Variety. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
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