Michael was, and will likely for ever remain, the best actor Ive ever known, said Smith, who directed him as a menacing preacher in Red State (2011) and as a sinister seaman with a bizarre walrus fixation in Tusk (2014). He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. Covertly tracking their moves is Stuntman Mike, a scarred rebel leering from behind the wheel of his muscle car, revving just feet away. The actor died this morning, though the official cause of his death has not yet been confirmed. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Farewell, old friend. The news was announced by filmmaker Kevin Smith, who took to his Instagram to sharethat the best actor Ive ever known and his cinematic muse, haddied. ", "Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I've ever known," Smith wrote on Instagram. He also played an ageing Mexican pimp in Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004). 1 and Kill Bill Vol. You would roll the cameras and watch the magic happen.. Genre actor and Quentin Tarantino favorite Michael Parks has passed away at the age of 77. The slight plot for this self-indulgent cult film has a maniac middle-aged stuntman driver trying to kill hot young girls with his heavy-duty equipped specialty car. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. The driver watches the girls and then speeds off down the road. The opening titles come up as Shanna (Jordan Ladd) and Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito) drive around in their car. Veteran actor Michael Parks, a favorite of directors like Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, died in Los Angeles on Tuesday, his agent confirmed. Smith on Wednesday called him "my cinematic muse. His. He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. Smith gave Parks the largest roles of the trio, including his 2014 film "Tusk," which paired him with Johnny Depp, and 2011's "Red State," as a preacher. As the ornery Texas ranger Earl McGraw, he was shot dead by Tarantinos character in the first 10 minutes, but both directors later cast him as McGraw in other films. From the moment I saw him steal the opening scene of #fromdusktildawn at an advance screening at the Sunset 5 back in the mid-90s, I said to @samosier Could you imagine what it must be like to work with a Yoda of acting like that guy? He was 77. In 2015, he booked the role of stagecoach driver O.B. From Dusk till Dawn actor Michael Parks has died at age 77. When they do, they have to look her in the eyes and recite a little poem. As they enter, Arlene sees a black car stopped in the middle of the street. I wish I could say that I really knew him but the parts that I played were sort of smaller and self-contained and didnt take as much work. Many of his early starring roles were in anti-establishment '60s-era films such as "Wild Seed," ''The Happening," with Anthony Quinn, and "Bus Riley's Back in Town," alongside Ann-Margret. Smith gave Parks the largest roles of the trio, including his 2014 film "Tusk," which paired him with Johnny Depp, and 2011's "Red State," as a preacher. Over the four years it was on air, the HBO series garnered a handful of awards Anna Paquin, who played the lead, earned a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, and was nominated for a Saturn Award. From the moment I saw him steal the opening scene of #fromdusktildawn at an advance screening at the Sunset 5 back in the mid-90's, I said to @samosier "Could you imagine what it must be like to work with a Yoda of acting like that guy? Genre actor and Quentin Tarantino favorite Michael Parks has passed away at the age of 77. He was hands-down the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. James Parks, Michael Parks Son: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Younger audiences may remember Michael Parks from his work with Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, but his acting career dates back all the way to 1960, beginning with two appearances on the TV series Zane Grey Theater. Parks popped up in countless TV shows throughout the 60s, making his film debut as the title character in 1965s Bus Rileys Back in Town. Though the fictional father-son duo of Earl and Edgar McGraw was killed off From Dusk Till Dawn, it has returned in several other films by Rodriguez and Tarantino, like Kill Bill: Volume 1 and several Grindhouse projects. This Article is related to: Film and tagged Michael Parks, Obituaries, Obituary. Youre not just showing up to work with anyone and theyre ready. Here is all you want to know, and more! His first screen roles included playing a nephew named Tom in 1961 on the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys and the role of Park on a 1962 Gunsmoke episode. "I was so blessed to have worked with this bonafide genius," he wrote. Character actor Michael Parks has died after a career that lasted more than 50 years. Has four awesome cats. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Some view him as a dangerous racist who should be avoided, while others consider him a friend, whose interests align with their own. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He was 77. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Parks worked with Kevin Smith on his movies Red State and Tusk, which Smith says he wrote specifically for the actor. His response was to go to Mexico and chop wood for a living. For the series, Parks, who recorded a number of albums throughout his career, sang the popular closing theme song, "Long Lonesome Highway. For the series, Parks, who recorded a number of albums throughout his career, sang the popular closing theme song, "Long Lonesome Highway. He died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, his agent, Jane Schulman, said on Wednesday. A memorial service for Parks will be held on Saturday, May 20 from 1 p.m. at the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Los Angeles. In a career that spanned six decades, Parks acted in more than 100 films and TV shows. I saw him in Kevin Smith's Red State as this crazy preacher." Only Michael Parks could have delivered the line Is man indeed a walrus at heart? and make it scary as fuck. Kill Bill and From Dusk till Dawn actor Michael Parks has died at age 77. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Michael Parks, a character actor best known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino movie Kill Bill: Vol. I was so fucking blessed to have worked with this bonafide genius. Jackson in Quentin Tarantinos The Hateful Eight. What is the streaming release date of Death Proof (2007) in the United States? My favorite memory of Michael is watching him and #johnnydepp act with and at each other, like a couple of dueling wizards, in their shared scene in Tusk. The character actor got his big break in 1960s countercultural roles. In the drama Bus Rileys Back in Town (1965), he played the title character, a young navy veteran struggling with civilian life. . Only Michael Parks could have delivered the line Is man indeed a walrus at heart? and make it scary as fuck. Fourteen months later, Mike turns up in Lebanon, Tennessee . He appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances, notably starring in the 1969-1970 series Then Came Bronson, but was probably best known for his work in his later years with filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Kevin Smith. His passing on Wednesday was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by his agent, Jane Schulman of Vesta Talent Agency. Tarantino cast him in multiple roles in both parts of "Kill Bill" and his "Death Proof" half of 2007's "Grindhouse." Sometimes, the characters followed Parks from filmmaker to filmmaker. Still plays with toys. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! or redistributed. Earl McGraw: James Parks . U.S. National Parks experienced 2,727 visitor deaths from 2007 to 2018 . While working at Wakulla Springs in 1953, Browning was asked to show around a film crew scouting for shooting locations. Parks is survived by his son James and his wife Oriana. Parks is survived by his wife, Oriana, whom he married in 1997, and a son, the actor James Parks. ", "Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I've ever known," Smith wrote on Instagram. Michael Parks . Michael Parks (Getty) Veteran actor Michael Parks, known for his roles in the " Kill Bill " series, the 1990 TV series " Twin Peaks " and " Tusk " died at the age of 77 on Tuesday. Smith directed Parks in both his Tusk and Red State, having relished the longtime actors career since first seeing him in Robert Rodriguezs From Dusk Till Dawn. Though Parks career stretched back to 1960, when he made his screen debut on TVs Zane Grey Theater, in recent years, the supporting standout had enjoyed a revival at the hands of both Quentin Tarantino (who Smith deemed Parks biggest fan) and Smith, who continued to craft roles for the singular actor. Michael Parks, the veteran Hollywood character actor who appeared inKill Bill, Django Unchained and Red State, has died. Weve lost another true legend in the world of horror. Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. Tarantino acquired the record as a teenager. In Austin, Texas, the girlfriends Julia, Arlene and Shanna meet in a bar to drink, smoke and make out with their boyfriends before traveling alone to Lake LBJ to spend the weekend together. And thats really rare you know, the talent, the level of work. ", He played the Canadian drug runner Jean Renault on David Lynch's "Twin Peaks. Browning made his directorial debut with 1973s sea lion movie Salty, and he notably also co-created the classic Flipper franchise. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Since then, hes booked over 60 roles in television and film series. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. All of us here on BD send our deepest condolences to Parks family and friends. For many years, Browning had been the last surviving original actor to portray any of the classic Universal Monsters. People died of natural causes, of suicide, and for many, accidents. His other TV series included David Lynch'sTwin Peaks in the 1990sand the Dynasty spinoffThe Colbys in the 1980s. During his busy Hollywood career, Parks appeared in movies by auteur directors like Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Smith, who paid tribute to the veteran actor on Wednesday via Instagram. Parks appeared in a number of films from the trio of filmmakers, including Tarantinos Kill Bill duo, the Grindhouse omnibus, Death Proof, Planet Terror, and Django Unchained. In 2012, he had a small but crucial role in Best Picture winner Argo., Parks upcoming slate includes a number of new offerings, fromOrson Oblowitzs crime drama The Queen of Hollywood Blvd. and a starring role in the animated short Other Fish.. Actor James Parks attends AMCs The SON premiere at ArcLight Hollywood on April 3, 2017 in Hollywood, California. In Tarantinos cult-classic film From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Parks played Texas Ranger Edgar McGraw. It stars Pierce Brosnan as Eli McCullough, a cattle baron who befriends Niles over the course of the series. Parks was briefly married while 16 years old to Louise Johnson, with whom he had a daughter. Is Stuntman Mike's reinforced 1969 Dodge Charger truly death-proof? No cause of death was announced. He is survived by his wife, Oriana Parks, whom he married in 1997, and his son. And also kind. NEW YORK -- Michael Parks, most recently known for his roles in movies by Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, has died at 77. Parks had completed work on several projects that have yet to be released, including Other Fish and The Queen of Hollywood Boulevard. "He's sexy and amazing and a really good actor. My heart goes out to James (Michael's son), Oriana (Michael's wife), Quentin Tarantino (Michael's biggest fan) and any movie or music lover who was ever dazzled by the talents of Michael Parks. He was 77. ", A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith). 2, as well as in Grindhousefilms Planet Terror and Death Proof Quentin Tarantino has stated on the record that Parks was the greatest living actor of his time. Michael Parks, the brooding actor who broke through as television's first easy rider on Then Came Bronson and resurrected by David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, and Robert Rodriguez as an icon of . He appeared in four episodes: If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin?, The First Taste, Strange Love, and the original pilot. His passing on Wednesday was confirmed to The Hollywood. He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. Parks was briefly married while 16 years old to Louise Johnson, with whom he had a daughter. Many of his early starring roles were in anti-establishment '60s-era films such as "Wild Seed," ''The Happening," with Anthony Quinn, and "Bus Riley's Back in Town," alongside Ann-Margret. Legal Statement. "- Abernathy: You can't get around the fact that people who carry guns, tend to get shot more than people who don't. - Kim: And you can't get around the fact that if I go down to the laundry room in my building at midnight enough times, I might get my ass raped.". The characters father, Earl McGraw, was played by his real-life father. You like cool music, cool films and cool people. For the series, Parks, who recorded a number of albums throughout his career, sang the popular closing theme song, "Long Lonesome Highway. He was 77. 2 and Kevin Smith film Tusk, died Tuesday at age 77.No cause of death was announced. more on this quote . Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor Ive ever known. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Kevin Smith paid tribute to his friend on Facebook today, echoing Tarantinos sentiments: I hate to report that my cinematic muse Michael Parkshas passed away. 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