Character Actor Charles Napier 1936-2011

[Zoneboy]

Link

Veteran Hollywood actor Charles Napier, a resident of Kern County since the 1980s, died Wednesday afternoon at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, according to a family friend. He was 75.

Though he appeared in Oscar-winning films like "Philadephia" and "Silence of the Lambs," it was in his earlier work -- decidely edgier fare -- that he first attracted the attention of A-list Hollywood directors like Jonathan Demme and Alfred Hitchcock. Early Z-grade films like "Supervixens" established Napier as a go-to tough guy and he deployed his unique brand of wild-eyed bravado to entertaining effect throughout his career on both big and small screens.

Napier was able to recount his uproarious life as an actor kicking around from set to set, never truly breaking through, in his entertaining memoir titled "Square Jaw and Big Heart," released in March. The response to his two book-signings at Russo's Books in Bakersfield was so overwhelming that the shop ran out of copies and was forced to issue rain checks to Napier's fans.

"He spent a lot of time with each person and he took a lot of time," said Tony Russo, owner of the book store. "When the books came in, we gave them to Charlie to sign and then he put a print from his pictures in the books and said, 'Thank you for waiting for the book.' He would be easy to be a friend with, sit down and talk to or have a beer with. You wouldn not know he was an actor."

The Californian spoke with Napier in March before the release of his book. What follows is a look at the memoir and an interview with Napier:

Winding up in Kern

Veteran character actor Charles Napier is the first to admit that he's taken an occasional wrong turn in the long and eventful journey from his native Kentucky to the fast lane of Hollywood. But it was just such a detour that led him to Kern County, his beloved home since the 1980s.

"I had just finished shooting a Toyota commercial in Lone Pine, and on the way back to L.A., my driver got lost," Napier told The Californain in March. "We were riding in a motorhome and I was talking with a friend of mine when suddenly I realized we were not going to L.A. I told the driver to just keep going. We stopped in Kernville and spent the night. Next day we took another route and ended up in Twin Oaks. ... I told my friend, 'This is it -- this is the place I want to live."

A couple of days later, Napier bought some land, "where the oaks seemed like they were calling me." The accommodations, such as they were, were rustic by Hollywood standards, but that suited the rugged actor just fine.

"I was single at the time, so I would go to the ranch, pitch a tent and spend as much time as I could. There was a well on the property and I was simply back to the basics. I invited friends from L.A. to come up and camp, and they did by the droves."

A few years later, Napier bought a 25-acre Twin Oaks ranch on which he plopped a10-by-50-foot trailer, where he started a family with his then-bride. Their two children, born in Bakersfield, attended Piute Mountain School.

After his marriage ended in 2006, the ranch seemed too big and lonely, so he sold it and wandered the world from set to set for a while before purchasing a condo in Stallion Springs. Eventually the entire family moved to Bakersfield.

"I don't have lots of friends here or anywhere really," he said. "I like to think my children are my friends. What few friends I do have here in Bakersfield and Kern County I feel are extremely loyal.

"My days at present vary. I talk to the agents about work, editors, etc. and the book, eat out a lot, hate cooking, and just try to live day to day. At my age, roles are scarce, so I seem to be in the process of dealing with my situation as-is. I have no hobbies. I occasionally paint and think about things I never had time for before."

[catlover79]

[Vahan]

His best role was when he played as that arrogant Commander Murdock in Rambo: First Blood Part II. He gave Rambo orders just to take pictures of the enemy camp, but Rambo refused feeling that Murdock was trying to screw him over.

Near the end, Rambo torments Murdock by threatening him with a knife and telling him: "Mission.... accomplished. You know there's more men out there. You know where they are. Find them... or I'll find you."

And I'll never forget earlier in the film when Rambo gets tortured, he tells Murdock on the radio, "Murdock... I'm coming to get you."

[Zoneboy]

Link

Q&A with Napier

Many stories in the book start -- or end -- with you drinking in a bar. The stories are fun to hear, but were they fun to live through? Did you drink too much?

My whole movie career started in a bar called the Raincheck Room while I was parking cars, along with Jim Brolin. ...

Finally after making a nuisance of myself for several weeks, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper had just hit so they helped get me agent. ... This was the mid-'60s where LSD and cocaine was the rage. Something told me not to do that as I had enough trouble with booze, so I am proud to say I did not indulge. I suppose I did develop a drinking problem but never to the extent I could not work -- never indulged on the job, but must admit I was a pretty good hell-raiser in a business that runs on excess. I'm sober now and have been for a long time. My young daughter Meghan read me the riot act.

There's not a lot of kissing and telling in the book. Did you not kiss or are you just not telling?

I never really believed in that because bragging about intimate incidents is not my bag, plus it can be the kiss of death in this business.

How much money did you make during your career? Were you smart with it?

When I went to SAG (the Screen Actors Guild, the union that represents actors) to start my pension at age 58, I was told I had earned around $4 million, so I assume I've accumulated more since then. Once I started making over 50 grand a year I realized this country boy needed a business manager. ... Like most high-earning people in show biz or sports I doubt very many of us even know how to write a check ... it's all done for you.

Trust? I just usually say I'm from Bakersfield, California, and I am friends with Jack Palance (was) and I'm not interested in percentage deals because I'm over 60 and I smoke and drink ... I want my money NOW. All I can say is I wish I had been better at financial matters but what matters is I was able to support a family and send kids to college even though they did grow up in a double-wide mobile home on a little ranch in Twin Oaks -- my choice, right or wrong.

Is it true that all Hollywood stars are older than they claim and shorter than they appear on screen?

Stars are always younger and taller than the National Enquirer makes them out to be.

Any steamy sex scenes you're particularly proud of or horrified by?

I suppose I have had several steamy sex scenes in films. Russ Meyer was know as King of the Nudies. I was told in the beginning I would never work in studio films if I went this route. At the time I had no other offers, so in order to earn a living in films, I decided I might as well learn to act and get paid for it and be around many beautiful girls. I could always go back to parking cars.

What do you make of the film business today?

The acting business has changed dramatically. Technology, special effects, computer-generated scenes, the abandonment of Hollywood for more generous states such as Albuquerque (N.M.).

The thinking of the studios has been remakes and a 14-year-old audience. Most adults can't or don't want to relate to what's on the screens. Maybe somebody is getting the picture that 80 million baby boomers is one hell of an audience; we shall see. By that time I will be too old to play a corpse.

Your best performance :

I consider my best acting in my last movie to date, "The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard" and ... as the judge in "Philadelphia." But my part was cut from several scenes, along with Joanne Woodward and Holly Hunter. When you are in a film where two stars get nominated for Oscars, the other actors get cut to give the Oscar runners more screen time -- just business but hard to swallow when you know this was a really breakthrough role. Jonathan Demme (the director) told me I probably would have been nominated for best supporting actor but, for the most part, I ended up with Joanne and Holly on the cutting room floor.

You say you play "Charles Napier" in all your films. Do you ever wish you'd had the opportunity to stretch a little?

I always felt I played myself or some kind of version of myself. If you think about it, old actors probably don't even have a self.

[Zoneboy]

Another guest-voice from The Simpsons has passed on.

[Marvo301]

Charles Napier

[Faith]

Ok since my original post got deleted because it was posted at the same time as this ones I will post the article from Bakersfield's news KGET's website. Actor Charles Napier, a Kern County resident who appeared in hundreds of movies and television shows, died Wednesday in a Bakersfield hospital. He was 75.

Charles Napier, a movie and television actor who had a face you knew even if you didn’t know his name, died Wednesday in Memorial Hospital, Greenlawn Funeral Directors confirmed late Wednesday afternoon.

Napier, 75, had health problems in recent months and reportedly collapsed in his home Monday and was admitted to the hospital. He died about 1 p.m. Wednesday.Napier was in some of the biggest movies in the last 30 years, usually in a tough-guy role.

He played the Memphis police lieutenant crucified by Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. He was the judge that heard Tom Hanks' case in Philadelphia. He was Sylvester Stallone’s nemesis Murdock in Rambo: First Blood. He was a general in Austin Powers and a country singer in The Blues Brothers.

He was a hippie on a faraway planet on the original Star Trek, and had several parts in The Simpsons.http://www.kget.com/news/local/story...ca4qLWJ1Q.cspx

[Torgo]

Napier was also in 3 Russ Meyer flicks- Harry, Cherry, and Raquel, Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, and I think his best performance as Harry Sledge in Supervixens.


RIP

[Torgo]

Charles was one of those rare actors who would appear in super cheesy low budget flicks like Skeeter, then appear the very same year in mainstream Hollywood films like Philadelphia.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Charles Napier was in so many movies and tv shows , you just can't remember them all. He was always great in whatever he did though. R.I.P. Charles.

[ponytail]

I didn't recognize the name so I googled him. Now I know him, he was in so many films and tv series I have watched. A really good actor.

R.I.P.

[Faith]

Originally Posted by ponytail

I didn't recognize the name so I googled him. Now I know him, he was in so many films and tv series I have watched. A really good actor.

R.I.P.

The newspaper here in town mentioned that. Many knew the face from movies but never remembered his name. Here is an article that was in the newspaper(Bakersfield Californian) Charles' children make a statement:

Napier's children release statement

The family of veteran character actor and Bakersfield resident Charles Napier, who died Wednesday at a local hospital, released a statement Thursday thanking medical personnel who cared for their father and friends for their support.

Charles Whitnel, Napier's eldest child, appealed for privacy and announced no plans for a public memorial. The release did not identify a cause of death for the actor.

The full statement released to The Californian:

Statement from Charles Whitnel. Charles Napier's eldest of his tree surviving children.

To all of those concerned:

On behalf of my sister Meghan & brother Hunter, each of us with very heavy hearts indeed, we wish to officially report the sudden passing of our father and long time Bakersfield resident Charles Napier early yesterday afternoon. I wish to thank his caregivers at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital for taking such good care of him and doing everything in their power to restore his life under unbelievably difficult circumstances. I would also like to recognize and thank his first responders who secured and transported him there quickly and safely. We also wish to thank all of his friends who, as usual, have come together in force to support us in this great time of need. I don't have words to describe what that means to us. It's very special and we consider ourselves extremely fortunate. We consider that a direct testament to how beloved and respected my father was and still is by all of you along with this entire community. You will not be forgotten. We hope you understand that we are awed and overwhelmed with the tremendous display of shock, sorrow and support by you all in this great time of difficulty for us. Therefore, we humbly ask for your respect of our privacy as we navigate through these first few difficult days. There is much to attend to and many important family decisions to be made. We have yet to formally finalize any plans for any memorial services at this time but whatever they may entail & whenever they may take place we wish that they be private in nature and we, again, humbly ask that all of you concerned in the community respect that. We thank all of you for everything.

Charles Whitnel

[MrCleveland]

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Another guest-voice from The Simpsons has passed on.

He was also Duke from "The Critic".

[Stuck In The '70's]

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture...ough-guy-roles




Charles Napier remembered for facial expressions in tough guy roles

Charles Napier was a veteran character actor in movies and television. A former basketball player and Army veteran, Charles Napier was a Kentucky native.

By Associated Press / October 7, 2011

*


Bakersfield, California

Charles Napier benefited from a granite jaw, toothy grin and steely stare as he became one of the most recognizable actors movie and TV audiences never heard of.


From the dim-witted country music star John Belushi flimflammed in "The Blues Brothers" movie to the scheming military intelligence officer who matched wits with Sylvester Stallone in "Rambo: First Blood II," Napier appeared in scores of films and TV shows in a career spanning more than 40 years.

He died Wednesday at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, his longtime friend Dennis Wilson told the Bakersfield Californian.

The actor, whose earliest roles included a memorable turn as a hippie wanderer searching for paradise in a classic 1960s "Star Trek" episode, continued to work until shortly before his death. He had a voice role in the animated series "Archer" earlier this year.

Think you know the US? Take our geography quiz.

In recent years he was a sheriff in an episode of "Monk," a father on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and a security guard on the children's show "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide." His voice was also heard on several episodes of "The Simpsons" as Officer Krackney and other characters.

His favorite role was as the judge in "Philadelphia," the 1993 film that won Tom Hanks a best actor Oscar as an attorney stricken with HIV.

His stock in trade, however, was playing steely eyed tough guys in films like "The Silence of the Lambs" and even comedies like "The Blues Brothers," in which he famously threatened to knock out Belushi's teeth for asking to see his musician's union card.

"I always felt I played myself or some kind of version of myself," Napier told the Bakersfield Californian earlier this year. "If you think about it, old actors probably don't even have a self."

Born in the small town of Mt. Union, Ky., on April 12, 1936, Napier was a high school basketball star before enlisting in the Army in 1954.

After earning a degree in art from Western Kentucky University, he worked at various jobs, including art teacher and basketball coach. (He had minored in physical education.)

It was in graduate school at Western Kentucky in 1964 that he decided to try his hand at theater. He appeared in several local plays, including Shakespeare's "Othello."

He eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he landed a small role on an episode of "Mission Impossible" in 1967.

He eventually began appearing regularly in TV shows, including "Hogan's Heroes," ''The Rockford Files," ''Baretta," ''The A-Team," ''Kojak," ''Murder, She Wrote" and numerous others.

He also made several films for schlock director Russ Meyer, including "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," ''Supervixens" and "Cherry, Harry and Raquel." He said the latter provided him his most embarrassing Hollywood moment, when Meyer had him run toward the cameras wearing nothing but a hat and boots.

Napier settled in the Bakersfield area in the mid-1980s, saying he was captivated by the western Sierra mountain range after getting lost on the way home from filming a TV commercial.

Survivors include sons Whit and Hunter and a daughter, Meghan.