George Kennedy dies: Cool Hand Luke and Naked Gun actor dead at 91

George Kennedy, the brawny, tough-talking actor who starred in such films as Cool Hand Luke, The Naked Gun, and Airport, died Sunday morning in Boise, Idaho, as a result of various health issues. He was 91.

His grandson Cory Schenkel confirmed the news to EW.

A strapping man who stood 6-foot-4, Kennedy was best known for his role as Dragline, the alpha-dog chain-gang prisoner who torments Paul Newman’s title character in Cool Hand Luke. Kennedy had modest expectations for the film, later recalling to the Associated Press, “My biggest fear was that nobody would see the picture. That year [1967] was the year of the blockbusters, and except for Paul Newman, our little prison camp movie didn’t have much going for it.”

Kennedy would go on to win the Oscar for supporting actor. In his acceptance speech, the inveterate tough guy said, “Oh, I could bust,” and thanked the academy for “the greatest moment of my life.”

Born in New York City to a vaudeville family, Kennedy served in the Army for 16 years before getting into the film business. On screen he was known for portraying heavies and blue-collar characters, including an airplane mechanic in the 1970 disaster film Airport and its three sequels, though he showcased his comedic chops in a trio of Naked Gun movies.

“He was just a pleasure to work with,” Naked Gun director and co-creator David Zucker told EW on Monday. “He always knew his lines, and he was very comfortable playing the material for the straight man that it required from him. He didn’t try to wink or try to be funny.”

Zucker and his collaborators, brother Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, originally wanted to cast Kennedy in Airplane​ (a spoof of ​Airport​ and other disaster movies)​, but things didn’t pan out. Still, he said, “Our instincts were correct” about enlisting Kennedy to play against type.

“He was a fine actor,” Zucker said. “So I was happy to ruin the reputation of him and others.”

Kennedy’s other movie credits included Charade, Strait-Jacket, The Dirty Dozen, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, The Good Guys and the Bad Guys, Fools’ Parade, Thunderbold & Lightfoot, Earthquake, The Delta Force, and most recently The Gambler. On television, he starred in the short-lived series Sarge and The Blue Knight in the 1970s.

Kennedy also penned two novels, Murder on Location and Murder on High, and an autobiography, Trust Me.

Additional reporting by Jeff Labrecque.

Data curated by PrettyFamous