Powers Boothe

Powers Allen Boothe (June 1, 1948 – May 14, 2017) was an American actor known for his commanding character actor roles on film and television. He received a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his portrayal of Jim Jones in '' Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones'' (1980). He also played saloon owner Cy Tolliver on '' Deadwood'' from 2004 to 2006, President Noah Daniels on '' 24'' in 2007, and Lamar Wyatt in ''Nashville'' from 2012 to 2014. He also appeared in the limited series '' Hatfields & McCoys'' (2012).

He is also known for his performances as "Curly Bill" Brocius in the western ''Tombstone'' (1993) and Alexander Haig in historical drama ''Nixon'' (1995). Other notable film roles include '' Southern Comfort'' (1981), '' Red Dawn'' (1984), '' Blue Sky'' (1994), '' Sudden Death'' (1995), '' Frailty'' (2001), and ''Sin City'' (2005). He also played General Vasily Chuikov, a Soviet general in World War II above Stalingrad's operation against Nazi's Wermacht under Gen. Friedrich von Paulus, in ''Stalingrad'' (1990).

He portrayed Gideon Malick in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's '' The Avengers'' (2012), and in the ABC series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' from 2015 to 2016. He was also the voice of Gorilla Grodd in ''Justice League'' and ''Justice League Unlimited''.

Early life

Boothe, the youngest of three boys, was born June 1, 1948, at home on a cotton farm in Snyder, Texas, to Merrill Vestal Boothe, a rancher, and his wife Emily (née Reeves) Boothe. His father named him after his best friend, who had been killed in World War II.

Boothe attended Snyder High School, where he played football and appeared in school plays. He was the first in his family to go beyond high school, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, and earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in Drama from Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas.

Career

After graduating from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, Boothe joined the repertory company of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, with roles in ''Henry IV, Part 2'' (portraying Henry IV of England), ''Troilus and Cressida'', and others. His New York City stage debut was in the 1974 Lincoln Center production of ''Richard III''. Five years later, his Broadway theater debut came in a starring role in the one-act play ''Lone Star'', written by James McLure.

Boothe first came to national attention in 1980, playing Jim Jones in the CBS TV film '' Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones''. Boothe's portrayal of the crazed cult leader received critical acclaim. In ''Time'' story on the production, Boothe was praised: "There is one extraordinary performance. A young actor named Powers Boothe captures all the charisma and evil of 'Dad', Jim Jones." Boothe won the Emmy Award for his role, beating out veterans Henry Fonda and Jason Robards. As the Screen Actors Guild were on strike in the fall of 1980, he was the only actor to cross picket lines to attend the ceremonies and accept his award, saying at the time, "This may be either the bravest moment of my career or the dumbest."

Boothe portrayed Philip Marlowe in a TV series based on Raymond Chandler's short stories for HBO in the 1980s. He appeared in such films as '' Southern Comfort'', '' A Breed Apart'', '' Red Dawn'', '' The Emerald Forest'', '' Rapid Fire'' and '' Extreme Prejudice'', as well as the HBO films '' Into the Homeland'' and '' By Dawn's Early Light''. In 1989, Boothe appeared in the Mosfilm production of "Stalingrad", in which he played the role of General Chuikov, commander of the Soviet 62nd Army. Additionally, he appeared in the 1990 CBS-TV film '' Family of Spies'', in which he played traitor Navy Officer John Walker. Boothe portrayed Curly Bill Brocius in the hit 1993 Western ''Tombstone'', the disloyal senior Army officer in '' Blue Sky'' (opposite Jessica Lange's Oscar-winning performance), and the sinister lead terrorist in '' Sudden Death''. He was also part of the large ensemble casts for Oliver Stone's ''Nixon'' (as Chief of Staff Alexander Haig) and '' U Turn'' (as the town sheriff).

In 2001, he starred as Flavius Aëtius, the Roman general in charge of stopping the Hun invasion in the made-for-TV miniseries ''Attila''. Boothe played a featured role as brothel-owner Cy Tolliver on the HBO series '' Deadwood'', and the corrupt senator Ethan Roark in the motion picture ''Sin City'' (2005), as well as its sequel, '' Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'' (2014). He is the voice of one of the characters in the 2005 video game ''Area 51'' and of Gorilla Grodd, the hyper-intelligent telepathic supervillain in ''Justice League'' and ''Justice League Unlimited''. He voiced the villain, Kane, in the 2008 video game ''Turok''.

He was a special guest star on '' 24'', where he played Vice President Noah Daniels. He returned in the prequel to the seventh season, '' 24: Redemption''. Just after taking the role as acting President, Boothe is seen exiting Air Force Two with F-15s in the background. Boothe played a downed F-15 pilot in '' Red Dawn''. In March 2008, he narrated a television campaign ad for Senator John McCain's presidential campaign.

In 2012, Boothe appeared in Joss Whedon's '' The Avengers'' as Gideon Malick, a shadowy governmental superior to S.H.I.E.L.D. From 2015–16, he reprised the role in the ABC series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''

Boothe appeared in the 2012 miniseries '' Hatfields & McCoys'' as Judge Valentine "Wall" Hatfield. Boothe was also cast as Lamar Wyatt in the ABC musical drama series ''Nashville''. Boothe also lent his voice to '' Hitman: Absolution'', a 2012 video game developed by IO Interactive, voicing the character of Benjamin Travis.

Personal life

Boothe married his college sweetheart Pam Cole in 1969 and they remained married until his death. They had two children, Parisse and Preston.

Boothe was a member of the Friends of Abe.

Death

Boothe died in Los Angeles, on the morning of May 14, 2017, from pancreatic cancer.

Theatre credits

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Biography from HBO

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boothe, Powers
1948 births
2017 deaths
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American art collectors
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male video game actors
American male voice actors
California Republicans
Deaths from pancreatic cancer in California
Male actors from Los Angeles
Male actors from Texas
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
People from Snyder, Texas
Snyder High School (Texas) alumni
Southern Methodist University alumni
Texas State University alumni