We lost another great this week -- veteran character actor Ned Beatty. He was so under-appreciated -- appearing in many of the best movies of the 1970s -- but also doing great work in his later years too, including on Homicide: Life in the Street, which may have been where I first really came to appreciate him.
Even though, like most people, I probably saw him for the first time as the lovably bumbling villain Otis is the first two Superman films starring Christopher Reeve.
He was definitely not a traditional leading man type but he also wisely avoided getting typecast -- even after playing an infamously vulnerable scene in his debut film Deliverance. I can't think of a role that could have been more of a career killer for a young actor getting their start, but instead he parlayed that into a prolific career. Here are my five favorite roles of his...
Deliverance - This brilliant and disturbing 1972 thriller about four middle class men who's humanity gets tested when they run afoul of some brutal mountain men during a rafting trip. Beatty probably has the trickiest part -- a bit of a novice who at first clashes with Burt Reynolds' alpha male but later becomes his unlikely ally. Will always be infamous for its "squeal like a pig" rape scene which Beatty played with dignity and restraint.
Nashville - Perhaps my favorite Beatty performance and one worthy of Oscar love had it not been overshadowed by the many other scene-stealing roles in this genius Robert Altman mosaic. He plays a glad-handing aspiring politico who tragically, pathetically cut off from his children because they are hearing impaired, and unlike his wife (played beautifully by Lily Tomlin), he hasn't bothered to learn sign language. The scene of him, alone in the kitchen while he listens to his family joyfully interact in the other room, is one of the movie's most quietly devastating.
Network - Beatty had a very busy, prolific 1976, appearing in hits like All the President's Men and Silver Streak. But his biggest role -- not in length but in terms of impact -- was in Network. He scored his first and only Oscar nod playing an imposing, God-like television network president who delivers a gloriously over top speech exalting capitalism which takes the movie's madcap plot in a whole new direction. One of the best short but sweet turns.
Superman - His silly, cartoonish work in this movie sets the bright, lighthearted tone of this influential superhero film from the very beginning. He's the perfect foil for Gene Hackman's vain and snooty take on Lex Luthor and while he's a bit one note, he plays that note to perfection. I can't think of these movies and not think of him sputtering "Mr. Luthor!" and not smile.
Toy Story 3 - Beatty made a surprising and unforgettable contribution to what may still be my favorite entry in this beloved Pixar franchise. He played the seemingly genteel and avuncular Lotso (short for 'Lots o' Fun Bear') who turns out to be a pretty nefarious villain who kickstarts perhaps the darkest turn these movies ever took. A sly and memorable turn that will ensure his legacy for generations to come.
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