Born on July 6, 1937 in Louisville, Kentucky, Ned Beatty
would become a man with a personal love life as loaded as
his professional resume. Rumored to have married four times
throughout his lifetime, his first marriage resulted in the
first four of what would become eight children. Though her
name remains unknown, she was the first of four wives, followed
by Belinda Beatty and Dorothy "Tinker" Lindsey with whom Beatty
had two kids each. His current marriage to Sandra Johnson
began in 1999. The two have plans to build a home near Sandra's
family in Minnesota.
Professionally, however, Ned Beatty was infamous for his
role as the stocky, genial-looking actor who has mastered
the art of the supporting role. Throughout his career Beatty
has continued to display his versatility as an actor. His
first film cast him alongside Burt Reynolds in the 1972's
suspenseful DELIVERANCE. Developing an integral relationship
with his co-star, Burt has personally cast Beatty alongside
himself in future films such as 1973's WHITE LIGHTNING,
W.W. AND THE DIXIE DANCEKINGS (1975), and 1983's STROKER ACE.
Most of Ned's success occurred in the 1970's when Hollywood
producers found roles for Beatty in key films such as 1975's
NASHVILLE and 1976's NETWORK, where Beatty's performance
won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other
notable roles thereafter include his performance as an undercover
FBI agent in SILVER STREAK (1976), and Lex Luther's assistant
in 1978's major motion picture SUPERMAN and its 1980's sequel,
SUPERMAN 2.
Throughout the 1980's Beatty found success from his roles
in THE BIG EASY (1987), and THE FOURTH PROTOCOL (1987).
Ned Beatty ended the decade with the delightful HEAR MY SONG (1991).
The nineties marked a transition to more "fatherly-roles"
for his appropriately typecast look. Ned Beatty also began
to avidly pursue a career in TV appearing in 1993'’s "Homicide:
Life on the Street".
In 2002 the Laurence Olivier Theatre nominated him for
Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in 2001's
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. Recently, Beatty gave a top-notch
performance in 2003's WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS.
Ned Beatty's other film credits include:
THE LAST AMERICAN HERO (1973)
NASHVILLE (1975)
ALL THE
PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)
NETWORK (1976)
EXORCIST 2 (1977)
GRAY LADY DOWN (1978)
PROMISES IN THE DARK (1979)
THE AMERICAN SUCCESS COMPANY (1980)
HOPSCOTCH (1980)
THE TOY (1982)
TOUCHED (1983)
THE BIG EASY (1987)
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE (1989)
REPOSSESSED (1990)
TIME TRACKERS (1989)
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1991)
PRELUDE TO A KISS (1992)
ED AND HIS DEAD MOTHER (1993)
RUDY (1993)
OUTLAWS: THE LEGEND OF O.B. TAGGART
REPLIKATOR (1994)
RADIOLAND MURDERS (1994)
JUST CAUSE (1995)
THE CURSE OF INFERNO (1997)
HE GOT GAME (1998)
COOKIE'S FORTUNE (1999)
LIFE (1999)
SPRING FORWARD (1999)
THIS BEAUTIFUL LIFE (2002)
THUNDERPANTS (2002)
WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS (2003)
SWEET LAND (2005)
THE WALKER (2007)
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (2007)
Ned Beatty's television credits include:
FOOTSTEPS (1972)
DYING ROOM ONLY (1973)
THE LAST AMERICAN HERO (1973)
ATTACK ON TERROR (1975)
THE DEADLY TOWER (1975)
LUCAN (1977)
FRIENDLY FIRE (1979)
GUYANA TRAGEDY (1980)
A WOMAN CALLED GOLDA (1982)
HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET (series; regular) (1988)
ROSEANNE (series; semi-regular) (1991-1994)
