Ned Beatty, ‘Deliverance,’ ‘Network’ & ‘Superman’ Actor, Dead At 83

Longtime Hollywood favorite Ned Beatty has died.

A spokesperson for the beloved character actor confirmed his death to NBC News, sharing that Beatty passed away Sunday morning surrounded by family at his Los Angeles home. He was 83 years old. Beatty’s daughter, Blossom Beatty, told The Hollywood Reporter that he died of natural causes. Further details were not immediately made public, but Beatty’s rep did confirm that his loss was not Covid-related.

Beatty was a prolific screen presence, appearing in more than 160 projects over his four-decade career. He is best known for his breakthrough role in 1972’s “Deliverance” and his Oscar-nominated turn in “Network” four years later. He also appeared as Lex Luthor’s sidekick, Otis, in “Superman” and “Superman II,” as well as opposite Lily Tomlin in “Nashville,” and Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in “All the President’s Men.” His TV credits include “The Rockford Files,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Roseanne,” and more.

In addition to his Academy Award nod, Beatty was nominated for two Emmys and a Golden Globe. He is survived by wife Sandra Johnson, whom he married in 1999, and his eight children.

— Erin Biglow