John Beasley

John Beasley (June 26, 1943 – May 30, 2023) was an American actor. He is best known for the films Rudy, The Apostle (1997), The Sum of All Fears (2002), Walking Tall (2004), The Purge: Anarchy (2014), and Sinister 2 (2015), and as Irv Harper in the TV series Everwood (2002–2006). In 2002, Beasley founded the "John Beasley Theater & Workshop" in Omaha, Nebraska, to promote live theater, especially works written by or featuring African Americans.

Life and career Beasley was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 26, 1943. He did not begin his acting career until his mid-40s. Prior to that he was a railroad man with the Union Pacific Railroad. He established the John Beasley Theater and Workshop in South Omaha, and he would remain working there for nearly a dozen years.

Beasley played General Lasseter in The Sum of All Fears and Reverend C. Charles Blackwell in The Apostle. In 1992, he played Jesse and Terry Hall's father in The Mighty Ducks.

Beasley made numerous guest roles on television and has appeared in several television films. His most prominent role in a television series was as Irv Harper in the WB series Everwood. He also appeared in the TV Land sitcom The Soul Man, which aired its fifth and final season in 2016. Beasley also claimed that even if he had not made it to Broadway, he still would have had a successful career.

Personal life and death Beasley married Judy Beasley, and would remain her husband for nearly sixty years, until his death. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Filmography

Film

Television