George Kennedy, star of 'Cool Hand Luke,' dies at 91
George Kennedy, the Oscar-winning star of Cool Hand Luke, has died at age 91, his grandson confirms to USA TODAY.
Cory Schenkel says Kennedy died in his sleep at his Boise home early Sunday morning, the day of the Academy Awards.
"He was a great actor and a great grandfather to me," Schenkel says.
Kennedy won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role as prison leader Dragline alongside Paul Newman in 1967's Cool Hand Luke. It was Dragline who gave Newman's character the nickname "Cool Hand Luke" following an audacious bluff in a prison poker game.
Kennedy appeared frequently in 1970s disaster movies, including as mechanic Joe Patroni in Airport, Airport 1975, Airport '77 and The Concorde ... Airport '79. In 1974, he appeared as Sergeant Lou Slade alongside Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner in the ensemble disaster film Earthquake.
![EDITORS NOTE: THIS IMAGE IS FOR ONE-TIME RIGHTS IN USA TODAY AND USATODAY.COM. MUST NEGOTIATE THE RATE. --RAS. 1967, Paul Newman, playing a banjo, and George Kennedy talk in a still from the film 'Cool Hand Luke' directed by Stuart Rosenberg. Newman won a Best Actor Oscar while Kennedy won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for their roles in the film. (Photo by Warner Bros./Getty Images) [Via MerlinFTP Drop]](/gcdn/-mm-/e3a8f6f9cf8088edc1b130557ec5bea9361a62a4/c=0-0-4612-2606/local/-/media/2016/02/29/USATODAY/USATODAY/635923657882790044-XXX-GETTYIMAGES-51247057-80112598-1-.JPG?width=660&height=373&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
The burly, 6-foot-4 actor turned his tough-guy persona to comedy in the late 1980s, starring in the Naked Gun franchise with Leslie Nielsen.
"The films featured these guys who had barely cracked a smile before onscreen," says film historian Leonard Maltin. "These films reignited their careers in many ways and (Kennedy) played the part. He knew how to do comedy."
Kennedy starred as Bo Derek's chauffeur in the 1984 film Bolero. On Monday, Derek tweeted a picture of the two from the film, saying, "Rest in peace - friend. I miss you."
On TV, Kennedy played rancher and Ewing family enemy Carter McKay on Dallas from 1988 to 1991 — as well as in two follow-up TV movies, 1996's Dallas: J.R. Returns and 1998's Dallas: War of the Ewings.
Schenkel says Kennedy continued to work on films even after joining his extended family in Boise, where his Oscar sat on the fireplace mantle. Kennedy starred in the comedy-drama Another Happy Day in 2011. Schenkel joined Kennedy on the set for his last role in The Gambler alongside Mark Wahlberg in 2014.
"Every time he did a movie in the last 15 years, he would say he was retiring afterwards," said Schenkel. "And then another opportunity would come up and he would take it. My grandfather loved making movies that much."
