Obituary: Powers Boothe Dead At 68

Powers Boothe was a powerful screen presence. You might say that Boothe was a character actor, but he was much more than that. He had his own gravitational pull, anchoring movies and TV shows with his own brand of gravitas and strength. Boothe has died from natural causes in his sleep, aged 68 years old.

Texan born Boothe’s career was jam-packed with great performances. He was one of those actors who could deliver in roles small and large. Standouts include: Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980), Walter Hill’s Southern Comfort (1981), John Millius’ Red Dawn (1984), John Boorman’s The Emerald Forest (1985), Tombstone (1993),  Oliver Stone’s Nixon (1995), Bill Paxton’s Frailty (2001) Sin City (2005) and Kevin Reynolds’ Hatfields & McCoys (2012). 

In recent times Boothe orbited the Marvel world, starring in The Avengers and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and he also made an impact in TV western Deadwood.

Movies In Focus‘ favourite performance was in Tombstone, where he delivered a great Lee Marvin style villain opposite Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. Boothe also impressed in Frailty, a wonderful dramatic thriller directed by the late Bill Paxton.

Powers Boothe was a great actor and he will be almost impossible to replace on screen. He might not have been a household name, but he was always a pleasure to watch. This is another sad day for those who appreciate good acting.