By Tom ChapmanHollywood is mourning a loss today, as legendary character actor Michael Parks has sadly passed away aged 77. The star has over 100 film credits to his name and frequently collaborated with Kevin Smith in recent years, after having played several roles in Quentin Tarantino’s movies.
Born in California on April 24, 1940, Parks’ early life involved him being a jack of all trades. His first jobs included picking fruit, digging ditches, and even fighting forest fires, before his acting career took off in 1961 – when he portrayed George Mac Michael on ABC’s sitcom The Real McCoys. Parks’ other early acting roles included on the religious drama The Bible: In the Beginning and medical drama The Eleventh Hour.
It was later in his career that Parks had a particular boost to his CV, frequently collaborating with out-there director Kevin Smith on projects like the horror/comedy film Tusk, where Parks portrayed creepy seaman Howard Hower. Smith broke the news with a heartfelt note on social media and left a touching tribute to the late actor (see below). Smith was clearly touched by his time with Parks and notably wrote several roles for him. Other roles created with Parks in mind included the lead in indie horror film Red State, where he played Pastor Abin Cooper – a none too subtle riff off the Westboro Baptist Church and Fred Phelps.
On the official Kill Bill website, it quotes that Parks is “frequently cited by longtime fan Quentin Tarantino as the world’s greatest living actor.” Parks’ will also be remembered for his role in Kill Bill, where he added some light entertainment as Texas Ranger Earl McGraw. Tarantino fans will know that it was a role that he had previously played in the first two From Dusk till Dawn films and became synonymous with Parks. McGraw also appeared in the Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez collaboration Grindhouse, where he offered yet more comic relief by playing McGraw once again. Away from law enforcement, Parks portrayed played Mexican pimp Esteban Vihaio in Kill Bill Vol. 2.
Outside of the Tarantinoverse, some may also remember Parks as the nefarious French-Canadian drug runner Jean Renault on ABC’s Twin Peaks. He was famously gunned down by Kyle MacLachlan’s Dale Cooper, so he was not due to be part of David Lynch’s upcoming revival series. However, Parks’ Twin Peaks costars are expected to also pay tribute.
People across Twitter and other social media sites are already grieving for the loss of Parks, who became an iconic character actor if ever Hollywood knew one. The actor’s agent reported that Parks had passed away on Tuesday, and is survived by his wife Oriana and son James.
R.I.P. Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks): April 24th, 1940 – May 9th, 2017
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