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Acting Legend Jack Palance Dies

Posted Nov 10th 2006 5:17PM by TMZ Staff

Jack Palance, the gravel-voiced actor whose career spanned bad guy and, later, funny guy roles, died today at the age of 87. According to family members, Palance passed away at his Montecito, Calif. home of "natural causes."

Palance is best remembered for his Oscar-nominated role as the evil gunfighter Jack Wilson in "Shane" and such dark roles as Dracula and Attila the Hun. Younger audiences discovered him later from his hosting gig on "Ripley's Believe or Not," and, perhaps most popularly, his portrayal of the gruff cowboy Curly in "City Slickers."

He also made the one-armed pushup, which he executed with panache as he accepted his Academy Award in 1992 at the tender age of 73, a symbol of masculine achievement.

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31. Amazing actor and real man. What a loss!! There are so few, if any, like him left. He is from another era in "old Hollywood" that truly had talent and kept a private life as well. Our family will truly miss his acting skills and his wonderful sense of humour. Condolences to the Palance family. He was a treasure.

Posted at 10:38AM on Nov 11th 2006 by Legal beagle

32. I am sorry to here that Jack died. I am sure that he will be missed.All good things come to an end.

linda

Posted at 11:45AM on Nov 11th 2006 by linda

33. Does anyone here remember Jack Palance dying YEARS ago? I'm not kidding. I've been discussing this with lots of other people, on a couple of forums. We all remember it. Same for Chuck Barris, of the Gong show. I remember DISTINCTLY the reports of Palance passing away, because it was right after the Academy Awards where he did the one armed push ups. Many people commented on how healthy he had looked and what a shock it was that he died. Does anyone else remember this?

Posted at 6:13PM on Nov 11th 2006 by susan

34. I too, remember the one-armed pushups he did on that awards show. He really put some of those younger guys to shame. A great man. God bless him.

Posted at 5:04PM on Nov 11th 2006 by Jeanie

35. #32 Susan.......Hey! I do too. I had an agrument with my Mother over Jack Palance. Had to prove to her that he was still alive, as she heard it on the TV.

Posted at 10:58PM on Nov 11th 2006 by Pieta

36. I used to confused him with Kirk Douglas....

RIP..

Posted at 12:35AM on Nov 12th 2006 by JustYen

37. :( :( :( :( :(

Posted at 1:15AM on Nov 12th 2006 by Beth H.

38. It took until 1991 for the public to know about Jack Palance from the funny City Slickers. It brought him to the young MTV-obsessed audience that never heard of him before. I was so pleased that he won an Oscar for it and did the one pushup approach on stage. It just showed his endurance and proved that he's not over yet. I don't know why he didn't get any more acting roles after that one--maybe he retired after 1992. And yes, I do remember him from Shane, though I saw that in the early 80s. Even though he said that he hated some of the movies he made, he made some superb movies within them. My thoughts go out to Jack's family at this time.....

Posted at 1:23PM on Nov 12th 2006 by Preston

39. What a tremendously talented actor. There are not many of the early "greats" left. We have just lost another one. God Bless this fine actor and his family. He will not be forgotten.

Posted at 9:34PM on Nov 12th 2006 by Melissa Dooley

40. Quote:
>>>33. #32 Susan.......Hey! I do too. I had an agrument with my Mother over Jack Palance. Had to prove to her that he was still alive, as she heard it on the TV.

Posted at 10:57PM on Nov 11th 2006 by Pieta

Posted at 11:58PM on Nov 14th 2006 by susan

41. never forgotten.
adios cowboy!
with sympathy to the family,
grim

Posted at 12:13PM on Nov 13th 2006 by shane brooks

42. I rmember him in "Barabas" with Anthony Quinn. Man did he have an erie way of laughing like a mad man.

Posted at 10:37AM on Nov 14th 2006 by RC

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