The popular character actor John Beasley, best known for his role as Irv Harper on the WB drama Everwood, died at the age of 79. The actor from Omaha was well-known for his portrayal of Cedric the Entertainer’s father in the television series The Soul Man. Continue reading to learn the reason of death.
According to his son Tyrone Beasley, John Beasley passed away in a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was born and raised. It was discovered that the deceased actor had been receiving “tests on his liver before taking an unexpected turn for the worst.” Mike, his other son, wrote on Facebook:
They advise against ever meeting your heroes because sometimes they are not what you expected them to be. Such a mistake. My father was a hero to me. I appreciate everything.
The cause of death hasn’t been made public in great detail. Beasley last had an onstage appearance in a Chicago production of The Notebook, a musical based on the Nicholas Sparks book that is headed to Broadway. Beasley was committed to encouraging the younger generation to recognise and value their talent.
John Beasley became well-known for his roles as an assistant coach in Rudy (1993) and as Charles Blackwell, a retired priest, in The Apostle (1997), which Robert Duvall starred in and directed. Additionally, he had cameos in films including Little Big League (1994), The Mighty Ducks (1992), Untamed Heart (1993), Losing Isaiah (1993), and The Sum of All Fears (2002).
Beasley, who was portraying James Garner on Broadway recently, was scheduled to travel to New York in August to work on the musical as the producers choose a venue. The information was disclosed by his son. Beasley discussed how to have a fruitful career:
The highest calling for me is to be a professional artist, and I value any direction it leads me. Even if I never made it to Broadway, I would still consider my career to have been fairly successful. “Usually, you’re cast in a play with established legs and a set, but it’s special to be able to develop this character in a world premiere production,” he continued.
Beasley continued, “It’s new content; it’s wonderful material, regarding the Broadway. That’s how I feel about playing Noah; you might say that some compositions seem to be written just for you. When a part is yours, 100 decent guys cannot stand in your way, I was once told.
He is also remembered for founding and managing Omaha’s John Beasley Theatre and Workshop for 13 years. In 2020, he claimed that “we changed the lives of a lot of people just through the theatre.” He was a railroad worker for the Union Pacific Railroad before becoming an actor. He didn’t start acting until he was 45.