Acteur Michael Parks is gisteren op 77-jarige leeftijd overleden. Dit heeft zijn vertegenwoordiger bevestigd tegenover The Hollywood Reporter. Het is niet bekend waar de acteur aan is overleden.

Parks is de laatste jaren vooral bekend van zijn aandeel in films van de regisseurs Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez en Kevin Smith. Hij was te zien in Tarantino's Django Unchained (2012), Death Proof (2007) en de Kill Bill-tweeluik en in Rodriguez' Planet Terror (2007) en From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). En voor wie de film heeft gezien; Parks speelde de oude gek in Tusk (2014).

Parks startte met acteren in de komedieserie The Real McCoys en had ook rollen in series als Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Dynasty en Twin Peaks van David Lynch. En hij had een aandeel in de films The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) en Argo (2012).

I hate to report that my cinematic muse #michaelparks has passed away. Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I've ever known. I wrote both #RedState and @tuskthemovie FOR Parks, I loved his acting so much. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set. From the moment I saw him steal the opening scene of #fromdusktildawn at an advance screening at the Sunset 5 back in the mid-90's, I said to @samosier "Could you imagine what it must be like to work with a Yoda of acting like that guy? I gotta write for him one day." It took me 15 years but my dream came true on Red State (for which Parks won Best Actor at the @sitgesfestival) and then again years later with #tusk. Only Michael Parks could have delivered the line "Is man indeed a walrus at heart?" and make it scary as fuck. My favorite memory of Michael is watching him and #johnnydepp act with and at each other, like a couple of dueling wizards, in their shared scene in Tusk. Parks was in Heaven that day, sharing the screen with another brilliant actor and creating an unforgettable performance. He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. I was so fucking blessed to have worked with this bonafide genius. But really, I was just lucky to have known him at all. My heart goes out to James (Michael's son), Oriana (Michael's wife), Quentin Tarantino (Michael's biggest fan) and any movie or music lover who was ever dazzled by the talents of Michael Parks. Farewell, old friend. I'll see you farther along... #KevinSmith #actor #genius #rip #walrusyes

Een bericht gedeeld door Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) op 10 Mei 2017 om 8:13 PDT