Matt Clark Has Died

Matt Clark, the character actor best known for his work in Westerns like The Cowboys, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Jeremiah Johnson, has died. He was 89.

Clark died on Sunday in Austin, Tex., his daughter, producer Amiee Clark, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter the following day. The late actor’s daughter also told the outlet that her father had broken his back a few months ago.

Clark acted opposite Robert Redford in Jeremiah Johnson (1972) as well as Brubaker (1980), and appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in The Beguiled (1971), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and Honkytonk Man (1982). He is also known for his role in the Paul Newman-led The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) as Nick the Grub.

Clark’s other Western film credits include Will Penny (1967), Monte Walsh (1970), Macho Callahan (1970), The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972), The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972), Pocket Money (1972), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Hearts of the West (1975), Kid Vengeance (1976), The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) and A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014).

Born on Nov. 25, 1936, Clark was raised in Arlington, Va., serving in the U.S. Army for two years and studying business administration at George Washington University before pursuing an acting career in New York.

While understudying for Martin Sheen in the original Broadway production of The Subject Was Roses from 1964 to 1966, Clark made his movie debut in James Whitmore’s Black Like Me (1964), before going on to take roles in In the Heat of the Night (1967), The Bridge at Remagen (1969), The Grissom Gang (1971), White Lightning (1973), Emperor of the North (1973), The Laughing Policeman (1973), Outlaw Blues (1977), Walter Hill’s The Driver (1978), Some Kind of Hero (1982), Country (1984), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), Return to Oz (1985), Let’s Get Harry (1986) Back to the Future Part III (1990) and 42 (2013).

Clark also appeared on several television shows, including The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Grace Under Fire, Ben Casey, Dog and Cat, The Waltons, Magnum, P.I., The Practice, Chicago Hope, The Winds of War and Barbarians at the Gate.

Clark also had a career behind the camera, having directed the 1988 feature film Da, which starred Sheen, Bernard Hughes and William Hickey.

Clark is survived by his four children — daughter Amiee, sons Matthias Clark, Jason Clark and Seth Clark — as well as three stepchildren — Michelle, Joyce and Ray. He is also survived by his third wife, Sharon, whom he married in 2000.