Cocoon and The Firm actor Wilford Brimley dies at age 85
In this Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 file photo, actor Wilford Brimley attends the premiere of 'Did You Hear About The Morgans' at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)
Actor Wilford Brimley, best known for his roles in the Oscar-winning movie Cocoon and The Firm has died at the age of 85, US media reported.
According to his manager, he was on dialysis and had several medical ailments.
Utah-born Brimley found his way into the film industry through stunt work around horse riding, before taking on successively larger roles in his 40s and 50s which brought him fame playing sometimes gruff but lovable moustachioed seniors.
In Ron Howard's 1985 sci-fi feature Cocoon, Brimley played a man in his 70s who together with the other residents of a Florida retirement home, discovers an alien energy source that rejuvenates them.
He also starred in the 1988 sequel, Cocoon: The Return.
Another memorable role came alongside Tom Cruise in the 1993 legal thriller, The Firm, where Brimley played a sinister security official for a law firm.
Actress Barbara Hershey, who starred with Brimley in several films, described him on Twitter as a wonderful man and actor who "always made me laugh".
(Source: Reuters)
