Robert Swan, the veteran actor known for his roles in the sports movies Hoosiers and Rudy, died on Wednesday morning. He was 78 years old. Swan’s friend Betty Hoeffner, revealed on Facebook that Swan “died peacefully in his sleep” in his home in Rolling Prairie, Indiana after a long battle with cancer. Hoeffner then said that Swan was on the verge of launching his screenplay The Saint and the Scoundrel, which follows the life of Samuel Johnson, and English lexicographer who suffered from Tourette syndrome and published A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755.
Swan landed his first big role in 1980 when he starred in Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. In 1986, Swan played the role of Rollin Butcher in the basketball film Hoosiers which also starred Gene Hackman. Swan followed that up by playing George Ruth Sr. in the 1992 movie The Babe, a biopic about baseball legend Babe Ruth. In 1993, Swan played Father Zajak in the football movie Rudy, a biopic that followed the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger.
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Some of Swan’s other notable movies he appeared in were Mo’ Money, Backdraft, Who’s That Girl, The Untouchables and Natural Born Killers. Swan, a Chicago native, was also a veteran on stage, appearing in multiple plays in the Chicago area. He also played the Balladeer in the Broadway play The Freedom of the City in 1974.
“This morning I lost a dear friend and colleague of many years. I first met Bob Swan in 2001 when Lyric performed Street Scene and Bob had a memorable role. Soon after, Bob hired me to sing in a holiday program at the Acorn Theatre, Christmas at the Acorn,” John Concepcion wrote on Facebook. “I ended up singing on the popular program for 16+ years. Bob brought me back to the Acorn many times over the years (Magic Flute, Classic Musical Theatre, Les Mis/Phantom, etc). He connected artists in a way that I admired, allowing space for everyone’s ideas to take shape.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, there will be a celebration of life for Swan at a date to be announced. Hill Street Blues star Daniel J. Travanti will play Johnson in the reading of Swan’s screenplay, and Si Osborne will be his biographer. Swan is survived by his wife, Barbara; brothers David and Charles; sister-in-law Elizabeth; nephews Christopher, Bryan and Daniel; and dogs Baci and Chico.
