Actor Rod Steiger dead at 78

Associated Press ^ | July 9, 2002 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Actor Rod Steiger dead at 78

07/09/2002

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Rod Steiger, the beefy, intense actor who won the Academy Award as best actor of 1967 for his role as the unrelenting Southern police chief in "In the Heat of the Night," died Tuesday. He was 78.

Steiger died at a Los Angeles-area hospital of pneumonia and kidney failure, said his publicist, Lori De Waal.

AP

Rod Steiger

A devoted practitioner of method acting, Steiger prided himself in undertaking challenging roles, especially real-life persons. "My generation of actors was taught to be able to create different people; that's what an actor is supposed to do," he explained.

In movies and television, he convincingly portrayed such figures as Mussolini, Rasputin, Pope John XXIII, Rudolph Hess, Pontius Pilate, Napoleon, W.C. Fields and Al Capone.

"I'm 60 percent virgin and 40 percent whore," he claimed in a 2000 TV interview. "I've not sold out that much, and I've made my own mistakes."

He admitted that he made a big mistake in declining the lead in "Patton," believing the film would glorify war and killing. George C. Scott played the role, and it brought him an Academy Award, which he refused.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/070902dnentsteiger.637d4752.html

[Doctor Stochastic]

John Frankenheimer

[Prodigal Son]

Rod Serling.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I knew that wasn't right- man if that's what I have to look forward to for the next 30 years or so (faulty memory) I don't know if I'm up for it. Maybe I shouldn't take it so hard though- I've always been bad with names.

[LisaFab]

Pore Jud is daid, pore Jud Fry is daid;
He's lookin' oh, so peaceful and serene.
He's all laid out to rest
With his hands across his chest;
His fingernails have never been so clean.

[archy]

Oh oh. Doesn't this happen in three's? Who's next?

[eddie willers]

Steiger would have brought him to life rather than doing a caricature of him.

Considering that Scott's is the most stunning portrayal I have ever seen on film, while Steiger's stereotypical sheriff in "In The Heat of the Night" could have been played by Jackie "Buford T. Justice" Gleason I must concur with the earlier poster.

BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....get serious.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

He was my neighbor.

[MeekOneGOP]

Hey, Meek, look at the time the article was posted. How'd you do that?

Oh, man! That is weird! How would that happen?
Admin Moderator: Is this a server problem or my problem? My 'puter clock
shows 2:26 p.m. Central right now.

[baseballfanjm]

If you count only Hollywood, he's the third, with Rosemary Clooney and John Frankenheimer before him. No one's mentioned John Enwhistle.

[GingisK]

Better than George C. Scott's Patton?

No way! George C. Scott's rendetion was perfect in every respect. He even looks a great deal like the real Patton.

[MeekOneGOP]

Ouch! Don't let Snow Bunny hear ya say that. That'd shake her up, I bet!

[RightWhale]

I knew Patton. Patton was a friend of mine. Scott was no Patton.

[RightWhale]

George C. Scott's rendetion was perfect in every respect

It was a great movie. It wasn't Patton.

[MeekOneGOP]

Different Rod. Rod Serling was The Twilight Zone.

[stanz]

Another Rod...Serling

[GingisK]

I knew Patton. Patton was a friend of mine.

You lucky stiff! I'd have to defer to you on this one. Can you tell us how you knew him and something about him? I have read about Patton ... and do rate him as a true American hero.

[AndrewC]

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Claire Bloom bump.

[MeekOneGOP]

Actually he was 77. This article AND FOX News had it as 78. Guess FOX
picked it up from AP also, then.

[RightWhale]

Actually it was my dad who served under Patton. But I feel like I know him.

[Misterioso]

Steiger was too soft. He was a borderline ham in my opinion.
I don't know what "method acting" is, but I came to dislike Steiger's method. After "In the Heat of the Night" most of the roles he played seemed close to over-the-top. However, I did like him as W.C. Fields. He was also well-suited for Mr. Joy Boy in "The Loved One" where his tendency to "camp" was in full flower. Maybe I've forgotten other performances where he excelled but, more often than not, he grated on me.