Wilford Brimley
Dead at 85 ... Diabetes, Quaker Oats Spox
TMZ
8/1/2020
Wilford Brimley -- an iconic actor who was the face of
Quaker Oats for years, as well as a spokesperson for diabetes education -- has
died ... a rep tells TMZ.
We're told Brimley passed away Saturday morning at his home
in Utah.
Sources with direct knowledge of Wilford's health tell us he was in an ICU wing
of a hospital on dialysis, and very sick for days.
Wilford had a lengthy career on camera, dating back to the
1970s with over 70 acting credits. He's perhaps most known for roles in cult
classic films like "Cocoon," "The Natural," "The
Thing," "Hard Target," and countless other memorable on-screen
appearances, big and small.
Brimley started out as mostly a TV actor, landing one-time
roles on TV series like "How the West Was Won," 'Kung Fu,' "The
Oregon Trail," and then eventually ... a recurring part on "The
Waltons." He went on to star in a bunch of TV movies, such as "The
Wild Wild West Revisited," "Amber Waves,"
"Roughnecks," "Rodeo Girl," 'The Big Black Pill,' and so on.
In the '80s, he started breaking out into more traditional
films, appearing in flicks like "High Road to China," "10 to
Midnight," "Tough Enough," "Jackals," "End of the
Line," and a bunch of other B-movies where he'd often play an authority
figure or a grandfatherly figure with his deep, comforting Southern accent. One
of the best character actors without a doubt.
\
He went on to star in countless other movies and shows,
notably on "Our House," in which he starred in over 40 episodes, as
well one-off appearances in hit series like "Walker, Texas Ranger,"
"Seinfeld," and so many others.
Folks might remember Wilford more for commercials though
over the years -- specifically, his campaigns with Quaker Oats through the '80s
and '90s, and maybe even more memorable ... his classic diabetes ads for
Liberty Medical -- which was often spoofed, but also beloved.
Wilford was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus in 1979, and
managed the disease ever since then -- obviously, he was very open about it.
The American Diabetes Association honored him for his lifetime of advocacy in
2008.
A rep for Wilford tells TMZ, one of his favorite quotes was
from a sign at a blacksmith's shop. It read, "There is nothing made, sold,
or done that can't be made, sold, or done cheaper. If price is your only
concern, please do business with my competitor."
He's survived by his wife, Beverly, and his three
children.
Wilford was 85. RIP
BRIMLEY, Wilford (Anthony
Wilford Brimley)
Born: 9/27/1934, Salt Lake City, Utah,
U.S.A.
Died: 8/1/2020, St. George, Utah,
U.S.A.
Wilford Brimley’s
westerns – actor:
Bandolero! – 1968 [stunts]
True Grit – 1969
Lawman – 1971 (Marc Corman)
Kung Fu (TV) – 1975 (blacksmith)
The Oregon Trail (TV) – 1976, 1977 (Ludlow, Joseph Burke)
The Electric Horseman – 1979 (farmer)
How the West Was Won (TV) – 1979 (Sheriff Daniels)
The Wild Wild West Revisted
(TV) – 1979 (President Grover Cleveland)
Rodeo Girl (TV) – 1980 (Bingo Gibbs)
Billy the Kid (TV) – 1989 (Governor Lew Wallace)
Blood
River (TV) – 1991 (U.S.
Marshal Winston Patrick Culler)
The Boys of Twilight (TV) – 1992 (Deputy Bill Huntoon)
The Good Old Boys (TV) – 1995 (C.C. Tarpley)
Last of the Dog Men – 1995 (narrator)
Walker, Texas Ranger (TV) – 1995 (Burt Mueller)
All My Friends are Cowboys – 1998 (Charlie)
Comanche – 2000 (doctor)
The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (TV) – 2001 (Deputy Sheriff Ambrose
Scraggs)
Crossfire Trail (TV) – 2001 (Joe Gill)
Born to Ride: Cody Wright and the Quest for the World Title –
2009 (narrator)
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