It's a sad day for Hollywood, as iconic character actor Harry Dean Stanton has died at the age of 91. Stanton built an impressive resume over the course of his historic career that dates all the way back to the 1950s. After working mainly in the realm of television for years, Stanton began to receive a few more mainstream roles in the 70s. He appeared as an FBI agent in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part II, and then in 1979, Stanton received his breakout role as Brett in Ridley Scott's Alien. Stanton's success continued into the next decade, as he appeared in films such as John Carpenter's Escape from New York, Repo Man, Red Dawn, and Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas. Stanton was also well known for his work with the legendary David Lynch, starring in projects like Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Inland Empire, and the recent season of Twin Peaks. Some of Stanton's other prominent credits include Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Green Mile, and of course, a memorable cameo in Marvel's The Avengers. As for projects that have yet to be released, Stanton has a leading role in this month's Lucky, and plays one of the leads in Frank and Ava, which does not currently have a date.
Harry Dean Stanton was one of those actors who was almost instantly recognizable. His screen persona was so distinct, so unmistakable. He always left his mark on the movies he appeared in, and the impression was never short of wonderful. I think my first exposure to Stanton was in The Avengers in 2012, but I feel like I knew who he was well before seeing Joss Whedon's film. Later that year, he blew me away in Alien, making the most of a supporting character who is so well defined at every turn. I've been meaning to watch Paris, Texas for weeks now, probably the biggest leading role that Stanton ever received, and it's definitely a cinematic blind spot of mine that needs to change. His career is so wonderfully varied, and it's a stunning accomplishment to see over seven decades of work in the film industry.
Even by just seeing him in a few small roles over time, Stanton always stood out as one of the best. Stanton leaves behind a storied career as one of Hollywood's most reliable actors, a performer who could radically change a film just through his presence alone. He will be sorely missed.
Harry Dean Stanton was one of those actors who was almost instantly recognizable. His screen persona was so distinct, so unmistakable. He always left his mark on the movies he appeared in, and the impression was never short of wonderful. I think my first exposure to Stanton was in The Avengers in 2012, but I feel like I knew who he was well before seeing Joss Whedon's film. Later that year, he blew me away in Alien, making the most of a supporting character who is so well defined at every turn. I've been meaning to watch Paris, Texas for weeks now, probably the biggest leading role that Stanton ever received, and it's definitely a cinematic blind spot of mine that needs to change. His career is so wonderfully varied, and it's a stunning accomplishment to see over seven decades of work in the film industry.
Even by just seeing him in a few small roles over time, Stanton always stood out as one of the best. Stanton leaves behind a storied career as one of Hollywood's most reliable actors, a performer who could radically change a film just through his presence alone. He will be sorely missed.
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