LOS ANGELES — George Kennedy, the hulking, tough-guy character actor who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a chain-gang convict in the 1960s classic “Cool Hand Luke,” has died at age 91.
His grandson Cory Schenkel said Kennedy died Sunday morning in Boise, Idaho.
He had undergone emergency triple bypass surgery in 2002. That same year, he and his late wife moved to Idaho to be closer to their daughter and her family.
His biggest acting achievement came in “Cool Hand Luke,” a 1967 film about a rebellious war hero played by Paul Newman who is bent on bucking the system as a prisoner on a Southern chain gang. Its theme of rebelling against authority and the establishment helped make it one of the most important films of the 1960s.
Kennedy played Dragline, the chain-gang boss who goes from Luke’s No. 1 nemesis to his biggest disciple. The movie garnered four Academy Award nominations, and Kennedy was named best supporting actor.
After “Cool Hand Luke,” Kennedy carved out a niche as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable supporting actors, including roles in the “Naked Gun” spoofs and the final seasons of “Dallas.” One of his strongest supporting roles was in the hit 1970 film “Airport,” which spurred the run of 1970s disaster movies.
