Richard Farnsworth was an American stuntman and actor who was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up around horses and began working in films as a general rider and later as a stuntman. He doubled for stars such as Roy Rogers and Gary Cooper, and was occasionally given a line or two of dialogue. It was not until he was over 50 that his talent for acting and his ease and warmth before the camera became apparent, leading to an Academy Award nomination for his role in Comes a Horseman (1978). He followed this with a number of finely wrought performances, including The Grey Fox (1982) and The Natural (1984). In 1999 he came out of semi-retirement for a tour-de-force portrayal in The Straight Story (1999).
Richard Farnsworth is a member of Actor
Richard Farnsworth, a renowned actor, stuntsman, and soundtrack composer based in the United States, is believed to have a net worth of approximately $700,000 as of 2024. Farnsworth began his illustrious career as a stuntman in the early 1960s before transitioning to acting, where he gained significant recognition for his performances in various films and television shows. His talent and dedication allowed him to excel in both dramatic and comedic roles, earning him critical acclaim as well as numerous accolades throughout his career. Additionally, Farnsworth's contributions as a soundtrack composer added another dimension to his creative repertoire. Despite his untimely passing in 2000, his enduring legacy in the entertainment industry continues to inspire artists and entertain audiences worldwide.
Some Richard Farnsworth images
Biography/Timeline
1920
Farnsworth was born on September 1, 1920 in Los Angeles, California, to a housewife mother and an Engineer father. He was raised during the Great Depression. When he was seven, Farnsworth's father died. He then lived with his aunt, mother, and two sisters in Downtown Los Angeles.
1937
In 1937, age 16, Farnsworth was working as a stable hand at a polo field in Los Angeles for six dollars a week when he was offered employment with better pay as a stuntman. He rode horses in films such as The Adventures of Marco Polo featuring Gary Cooper and performed horse-riding Stunts in films including A Day at the Races (1937) and Gunga Din (1939). Farnsworth was employed on the set of Spartacus (1960) for eleven months where he drove a chariot.
1939
From stunt work, Farnsworth gradually moved into acting in Western movies. He made uncredited appearances in numerous films, including Gone with the Wind (1939), Red River (1948), The Wild One (1953), and The Ten Commandments (1956).
1963
Farnsworth received his first acting credit in 1963 and went on to act in western films and also television shows. He had a role in Roots (1977). In 1992, he co-starred with Wilford Brimley in The Boys of Twilight. His breakthrough came when he played stagecoach robber Bill Miner in the 1982 Canadian film The Grey Fox. He appeared as a baseball coach in The Natural (1984). In 1985 he was the brother to Marilla and father figure to Anne in Anne of Green Gables. Another prominent role was the suspicious sheriff in the film version of Stephen King's Misery (1990).
1980
Farnsworth became well known in the Pacific North West as the groundskeeper who saw the mythical "Artesians" in the 1980s Olympia Beer advertising campaign.
1992
Note: Farnsworth was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1997. In addition, Farnsworth received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for his contributions in the motion pictures on 1560 Vine Street on August 17, 1992.
2000
On October 6, 2000, after a long illness with metastatic prostate cancer, Farnsworth committed suicide by shooting himself at his ranch. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles in the Columbarium of Purity (N-63294) beside his wife, Margaret née Hill (1919–1985).