Wilford Brimley

Anthony Wilford Brimley (September 27, 1934 – August 1, 2020) was an American actor. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and working odd jobs in the 1950s, Brimley started working as an extra and stuntman in Western films in the late 1960s. He became an established character actor in the 1970s and 1980s in films such as The China Syndrome, The Thing (1982), Tender Mercies (1983), The Natural (1984), Cocoon (1985), and Cocoon: The Return (1988). Brimley was known for playing characters at times much older than his age. He was the long-term face of American television advertisements for the Quaker Oats Company. He also promoted diabetes education and appeared in related television commercials for Liberty Medical, a role for which he became an Internet meme.

Early life Anthony Wilford Brimley was born in Salt Lake City on September 27, 1934, the son of Lola (née Nelson) and real estate broker Wilford Brimley. His paternal grandfather was an Englishman from Wigan, while his paternal grandmother's parents were a Scottish couple from Glasgow. His mother was half Danish and also had English, German, Swiss, and Welsh ancestry. Prior to a career in acting, he dropped out of high school at age 14 and worked as a cowboy in Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada.

Brimley joined the Marines in 1953 and served in the Aleutian Islands for three years. He also worked as a bodyguard for businessman Howard Hughes as well as a ranch hand, wrangler, and blacksmith. In 1979, he told the Los Angeles Times that the most he ever earned in a year as an actor was $20,000.

Career Film and television

Brimley's onscreen breakthrough came when he was cast in the popular 1970s television series The Waltons as Walton's Mountain resident and blacksmith Horace Brimley; he made seven appearances between 1974 and 1977.

Brimley's close friend Robert Duvall (who also appeared in The Natural) was instrumental in securing for him the role of Harry in Tender Mercies (1983). Duvall, who had not been getting along with director Bruce Beresford, wanted "somebody down here that's on my side, somebody that I can relate to." Beresford felt Brimley was too old for the part but eventually agreed to the casting. Brimley, like Duvall, clashed with the director; during one instance when Beresford tried to advise Brimley on how Harry would behave, Duvall recalled Brimley responding: "Now look, let me tell you something, I'm Harry. Harry's not over there, Harry's not over here. Until you fire me or get another actor, I'm Harry, and whatever I do is fine 'cause I'm Harry." He also starred in Cocoon: The Return, a 1988 sequel.

Through these and other roles, Brimley became widely known for portraying gruff or stodgy old men, most notably on the 1980s NBC drama series Our House, also starring Deidre Hall, Chad Allen, and Shannen Doherty. One exception was when he played William Devasher, sinister head of security for a Mafia-associated law firm, in the Tom Cruise film The Firm (1993).

After portraying the father of Kevin Kline in In & Out (1997), Brimley retreated from Hollywood in favor of involvement in more independent productions. He made an auspicious mainstream comeback with the TNT film Crossfire Trail (2001), co-starring with Tom Selleck (with whom he had previously worked in the films High Road to China and In & Out). He played bank owner Burt Mueller in a 1995 episode of Walker, Texas Ranger ("War Zone"), and an intimidating United States Postmaster General in a 1997 episode of Seinfeld ("The Junk Mail"), who forces Kramer to end his boycott of the mail service. After several more years of independent film and TV acting, Brimley had a supporting role in Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009), making witty exchanges with star Hugh Grant.

Commercials Brimley frequently appeared in commercials, including a series of commercials for Quaker Oats, Developed by advertising agency Jordan, McGrath, Case & Taylor, the campaign began in 1987. Brimley appeared in numerous television advertisements for Liberty Medical, a company specializing in home delivery of medical products (including diabetes testing supplies). He appeared in commercials for the American Diabetes Association and was the voice-over for a Bryan Foods television commercial campaign.

Musical interests Brimley has been described as "a fine singer with a warm, rich voice". In 1993, Brimley sang with the Cal State Northridge Jazz Band for a concert benefiting the college's Jazz Endowment Scholarship Fund. In 2004, he self-released the album This Time, The Dream's On Me a collection of jazz standards named after the was title track. He was also an accomplished harmonica player; during his 2011 appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Brimley performed a lively rendition of "Oh! Susanna" much to the delight, and surprise, of Ferguson and the studio audience. In 2013, Riders in the Sky partnered with Brimley to produce the album Home on the Range, which featured him singing a variety of country and folk songs.

Personal life Brimley was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was married to Lynne Bagley from July 6, 1956, until her death in June 2000. They had four sons together: James Charles, John Michael, William Carmen, and Lawrence Dean. He married Beverly Berry on October 31, 2007. In 2009, they founded the nonprofit organization Hands Across the Saddle (HATS) in the Bighorn Basin.

Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1979, Brimley began working to raise awareness of the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) honored him in 2008 with an award to recognize his lifetime of service. The ADA presented the award to him at the Port St. Lucie headquarters of Liberty Medical on December 19, 2008. He visited Veterans Administration hospitals and communities to advise patients on how to manage their diseases. His television advertisements for Liberty Medical became an Internet meme due to Brimley's dialectal pronunciation of "diabetes", often rendered as "diabeetus" , contrasting with his overall serious tone.

Brimley spoke against the banning of cockfighting in New Mexico on the basis of his support of individual rights. He also spoke at a 1998 Phoenix rally opposing an Arizona ballot proposition to ban cockfighting, arguing that a ban could lead to efforts to restrict the use of hunting dogs, which opponents of cockfighting called a distraction from the issue. Brimley enjoyed playing poker and played in the World Series of Poker Main Event.

Brimley lent his support to John McCain in the 2008 United States presidential election. In the days leading up to his selection of a running mate, McCain jokingly stated that he would pick Brimley: "He's a former Marine and great guy and he's older than I am, so that might work."

Death Brimley died at a hospital in St. George, Utah, on August 1, 2020, at age 85 after suffering from a kidney condition for two months.

Filmography Sources:

Film Year Title Role Notes 1968 Bandolero! StuntmanUncredited 1969 True Grit Minor role 1971 Lawman Marc Corman1979 The China Syndrome Ted Spindler The Electric Horseman Farmer 1980 Brubaker Rogers Borderline USBP Agent "Scooter" Jackson 1981 Absence of Malice Assistant U.S. Attorney General James A. Wells 1982 Death Valley The Sheriff The Thing Dr. Blair 1983 Tender Mercies Harry 10 to Midnight Captain Malone High Road to China Bradley Tozer Tough Enough Bill Long 1984 Harry & Son Tom Keach The Hotel New Hampshire Bob "Iowa Bob" The Stone Boy George Jansen The Natural 'Pop' Fisher Country Otis Terror in the Aisles Dr. Blair Archival footage1985 Cocoon Ben Luckett Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins CURE Director Harold W. Smith 1986 Jackals Sheriff Mitchell Shadows on the Wall Floyd Buckman 1987 End of the Line Will Haney 1988 Cocoon: The Return Ben Luckett 1990 Eternity King / Eric 1992 Where the Red Fern Grows: Part II Grandpa Will Direct-to-video1993 The Firm Bill Devasher Hard Target Uncle Clarence Douvee 1994 Heaven Sent Al (Security Guard) 1995 Mutant Species Devro Last of the Dogmen Narrator Voice; Uncredited 1996 My Fellow Americans Joe Hollis 1997 In & Out Frank Brackett Lunker Lake The Storyteller 1998 Chapter Perfect Chief Hawkins Progeny Dr. David Wetherly A Place to Grow Jake Summer of the Monkeys Grandpa Sam Ferrans 2000 Comanche Doctor 2001 Brigham City Stu PC and the Web Unknown 2002 Resurrection Mary Morty 2003 The Road Home Coach Weaver 2009 The Path of the Wind Harry Caldwell Did You Hear About the Morgans? Earl Granger 2016 Timber the Treasure Dog "Hawk" Jones 2017 I Believe Pastor Final film role

Television Year Title Role Notes 1974–1977 The Waltons Horace Brimley 10 episodes 1975 Kung Fu Blacksmith Episode: "One Step to Darkness"; as A. Wilford Brimley 1976–1977 The Oregon Trail Ludlow Episodes: Pilot, "Hard Ride Home"; as A. Wilford Brimley 1979 The Wild Wild West Revisited Grover Cleveland Television film; credited as Wilford A. Brimley1980 Amber Waves Pete AlbertsTelevision film Roughnecks Willie Clayton Rodeo Girl "Bingo" Gibbs 1981 The Big Black Pill Wally Haskell Television film; AKA Joe Dancer1985 Murder in Space Dr. Andrew McCallisterTelevision film Ewoks: The Battle for Endor Noa 1986 Thompson's Last Run "Red" Haines Act of Vengeance Tony Boyle 1986–1988 Our House Gus Witherspoon Main role 1989 Billy the Kid Governor Lew Wallace 1991 Blood River US Marshal Winston Patrick Culler 1992 The Boys of Twilight Deputy Bill Huntoon 1995 Walker, Texas Ranger Burt Mueller Episode: "War Zone" Op Center Admiral Troy Davis The Good Old Boys C.C. Tarpley Television film 1997 Seinfeld US Postmaster General Henry Atkins Episode: "The Junk Mail"2001 Crossfire Trail Joe GillTelevision film The Ballad of Lucy Whipple Deputy Ambrose Scraggs 2011 The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Guest (self) Late night talk show

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 1987 CableACE Awards Actor in a Movie or Miniseries Act of Vengeance 2005 Golden Boot Awards Golden Boot