There are certain actors who have been entertainment mainstays for decades. They may not be A-listers, but not only can you instantly recognize them when they pop up on either the big or small screen, you can also count on them for memorable performances. Harry Dean Stanton was one of those actors, but unfortunately, he will not be gracing us with his talents anymore, as he has passed at the age of 91.
This news originates from TMZ, which reporting that Harry Dean Stanton died this afternoon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Stanton's agent informed THR that Stanton "is survived by family and friends who loved him." The actor died "peacefully" of natural causes. Stanton leaves behind a body of work that stretched over 60 years.
Some of Harry Dean Stanton's earlier credited theatrical appearances included The Proud Rebel, In the Heat of the Night, Cool Hand Luke and The Godfather Part II. However, one of Stanton's most well-known performances came in 1978's Alien, where he co-starred alongside Sigourney Weaver as engineering technician Brett. Stanton would return to the Alien franchise more than three decades later to reprise his character in the video game Alien: Isolation. Here's a clip of Stanton from the original Alien in case you need a refresher on how Brett bit the dust at the hands of the eponymous extraterrestrial.
Going into the 1980s and beyond, Harry Dean Stanton's other prominent credits included Escape from New York, Repo Man, Christine, Paris, Texas, Red Dawn, Pretty in Pink, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Green Mile, Alpha Dog and Anger Management. In more recent years, Stanton appeared in The Avengers, Seven Psychopaths and The Last Stand, as well as provided the voice of Balthazar in Rango. His final film performance is in John Carroll Lynch's Lucky, which also stars David Lynch, Ron Livingston and Ed Begley Jr.
Harry Dean Stanton was also an accomplished television performer, with most of his early acting credits coming from the small screen. While most of these jobs were guest appearances, from 2006 to 2010, he starred as Roman Grant in the HBO series Big Love. Stanton most recently appeared as Carl Rod in five episodes of Showtime's Twin Peaks revival, having previously played that character in the 1992 movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Outside of acting, Stanton was also a talented singer and musician, playing the guitar and harmonica.
We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to Harry Dean Stanton's family and friends. If you have a favorite performance from the actor, be sure to let us know in the comments below.
