John Beasley, Best Known for Everwood, Passes Away at 79
John Beasley, a veteran actor known for his memorable roles in films like Everwood, Soul Man, Walking Tall, Sinister 2, and others, has sadly passed away. The actor died at the age of 79 in Omaha, Nebraska, after his health unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, according to reports.
James Garner’s part was being played by the now-deceased actor in the Broadway-bound musical version of Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel The Notebook. In August, he was scheduled to travel to New York to work with the music producers who had chosen a theater. Malik Beasley, an NBA veteran who played last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, his wife Judy, sons Mike and Tyrone Beasley, daughter-in-law Katie, and grandchildren Evan, Miles, Olivia, Mika, Darius, and Malik Beasley, survive Beasley.
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“I lost my best friend today”: Mike W. Beasley on John Beasley’s death
John Beasley’s son, Mike W. Beasley, took to his social media to address the passing away of his father as he wrote, “I lost my best friend today. They say you shouldn’t ever meet your heroes because they don’t turn out to be who you thought they were. That is so wrong. My hero was my father. Thank you for everything.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Tyrone Beasley, the actor’s other son, revealed to the publication that the actor had been undergoing liver tests when things started to go south and he passed away in his hometown. His cause of death has not yet been determined.
“He was like a big brother to us, and we were saddened to hear this today,” wrote one fan among the fans who flocked to the comments section to pay tribute. “We’re sending the family our prayers”. Someone else wrote, “Oh Mike. My condolences for that. This shocks me! Many people looked up to your hero. My condolences are extended to you and your family.”
John Beasley wanted to help young talent
Beasley, who debuted in 1991’s V.I. Warshawski as Ernie at the age of 40, went on to star in films like The Mighty Ducks, Lost Souls, The Sum of All Fears, For Love of Amy, etc. Brewster Place, To Sir, with Love II, Millennium, Disappearing Acts, and most recently Your Honor as Elijah Davies were just a few of the TV shows he had appeared in.
Beasley quickly established himself as a well-liked performer in the business thanks to the audience’s appreciation of his extraordinary acting talent. The late actor was passionate about supporting emerging talent, and Tim Christian, the owner of Night Fox Entertainment, had nothing but wonderful things to say about the seasoned performer. He said,
“He’s really one of the first people who really believed in what I wanted to do in the film world. He always supported me. He always was kind and would give advice you know, and never wanted anything in return, which you don’t find that from a lot of people”.
Christian added, “You don’t see a lot of people, number one, that are in Omaha that are looking to be in the business that we’re in and there’s not really examples. There are not a lot of role models”.
“I am grateful”: John Beasley on Broadway-bound
During his conversation with American Theatre, Beasley said, “Broadway comes at this age—I guess that’s par for my course. I think it’s the ultimate validation of my acting career. Broadway’s always been that vision. I’m told it’s life-changing. To be a working artist is the highest calling, and I appreciate wherever it takes me. If I never got to Broadway, I would still feel I’ve had a pretty successful career.”
The actor who portrays the older Noah in the Broadway-bound play told the publication that, while it is customary for actors to be cast in plays with established plots and settings, the opportunity to develop this particular character for a world premiere production is very special to him. John Beasley further added, “It’s new material; it’s good material. You think there are pieces that are written for you, and that’s how I feel about playing Noah. I was told a long time ago that when a part is yours, 100 good men can’t stand in your way.”
He has taken some pains not to be influenced by previous iterations of the story. “I haven’t read the novel. I did see part of the movie; it’s a real tear-jerker. But I didn’t want to look at it and try to do some of the same things James Garner did. This is me creating a role, and I want to do that on my own.”
He established the John Beasley Theater and Workshop in Omaha and ran it for 13 years he said in 2020 that they have changed the lives of a lot of people just through theatre.
Source: Page Six
