---
name: "Ned Beatty"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ned-beatty"
fi1m_id: "ned-beatty"
imdb_id: "nm0000885"
tmdb_id: 13726
wikidata_id: "Q4212"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 July 1937"
died: "13 June 2021"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 16
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 16
updated: "2026-10-07T12:20:34.533891+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ned Beatty

## Identity

Ned Beatty

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ned-beatty
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ned-beatty
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000885
- **TMDB ID:** 13726
- **Wikidata ID:** Q4212
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Beatty, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4212, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000885/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13726

Actor. Born 6 July 1937 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Died 13 June 2021.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 July 1937, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- **Died:** 13 June 2021
- **Active:** 1972–2011
- **Also known as:** Ned Thomas Beatty, ند بیتی
- **Frequently works with:** [John Boorman](https://film.one/person/john-boorman.md), [Richard Pryor](https://film.one/person/richard-pryor.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 16 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 75 (6), 1980s 67 (5), 1990s 80 (3), 2010s 82 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 77 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 7 at 80+, 6 at 60–79, 3 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 14 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 8, Drama 6, Thriller 4, Action 3, Adventure 3, Family 3
- **Screen time:** 25 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,912m across 12 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Beatty, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4212, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000885/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13726

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Toy*](https://film.one/film/the-toy.md) (46), [*Exorcist II: The Heretic*](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md) (38)
- **Disney+:** [*Toy Story 3*](https://film.one/film/toy-story-3.md) (87)
- **HBO Max:** [*Superman II*](https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md) (74)
- **Peacock:** [*Gulliver's Travels*](https://film.one/tv/gullivers-travels.md) (73)
- **Apple TV:** [*Back to School*](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Ned Beatty

> Ned Beatty could make geniality reassuring and authority chilling, often in little screen time. We value him just as much when he stays quiet: his steadiness in *Hear My Song* lets a busy comedy relax.

As Josef Locke in *Hear My Song* (1991), Ned Beatty is in no hurry to entertain everyone around him. He gives the Irish tenor enough assurance to make the search for him seem reasonable. Adrian Dunbar supplies the eagerness, and Beatty's quieter presence lets the comedy settle down. We rate this kind of acting: clear about the character, attentive to the other performer and content to leave a little space.

That unforced presence was useful in a career largely spent in supporting parts. His screen debut, as Bobby Trippe in *Deliverance* (1972), led into a busy decade of ensemble work, including *All the President's Men* (1976) and *Network* (1976). As Arthur Jensen in the latter, a corporate monologue gave him a brief opportunity to make authority chilling. Such parts could leave a misleading impression of what mattered about him: the size of the speech, or how little screen time he needed. *Hear My Song* makes a better case for the pleasure of simply having him around.

Peter Chelsom gets something valuable from letting Beatty remain less insistent than the film around him. We felt fond of Locke because Beatty never seemed to be asking us to, even when the writing was doing just that. Dunbar's impudence benefits from the contrast, and the comedy becomes easier company whenever the performances are allowed to do the work. The reservation is with the film's overworked sentiment: Beatty cannot stop the romantic passages pressing for a response they have not quite earned. The humour survives those demands more comfortably than the romance.

The later career brought voice work, including Lotso in *Toy Story 3* (2010). It is easy to build a portrait of Beatty from compact supporting jobs and overlook the quieter acting. A large speech is easier to remember than the small adjustments that help another actor's performance work. For those, try *Hear My Song*, with a little patience for Chelsom's determination to make everyone endearing.

## Biography

Ned Beatty was an American actor. He made his screen debut as Bobby Trippe in *Deliverance* (1972) and went on to appear in more than 150 films and television productions over five decades.

Beatty received an Academy Award nomination for his role as Arthur Jensen in *Network* (1976). He played Otis in *Superman* (1978) and *Superman II* (1980), and portrayed Josef Locke in *Hear My Song* (1991), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. Other notable film roles include appearances in *All the President's Men* (1976), *Charlie Wilson's War* (2007) and *Toy Story 3* (2010), in which he voiced Lotso. On television he played Detective Stanley Bolander in *Homicide: Life on the Street*.

*Sources: theguardian.com, imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (16)

- *Rango* (2011), Fi1m 77, as Mayor (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/rango.md)
- *Toy Story 3* (2010), Fi1m 87, as Lotso (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story-3.md)
- *Gulliver's Travels* (1996), Fi1m 73, as Farmer Grultrad — [page](https://film.one/tv/gullivers-travels.md)
- *Homicide: Life on the Street* (1993), Fi1m 89, as Stanley Bolander — [page](https://film.one/tv/homicide-life-on-the-street.md)
- *Hear My Song* (1991), Fi1m 78, as Josef Locke — [page](https://film.one/film/hear-my-song.md)
- *Roseanne* (1988), Fi1m 84, as Ed Conner — [page](https://film.one/tv/roseanne.md)
- *The Fourth Protocol* (1987), Fi1m 57, as Borisov — [page](https://film.one/film/the-fourth-protocol.md)
- *Back to School* (1986), Fi1m 72, as Dean Martin — [page](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md)
- *The Toy* (1982), Fi1m 46, as Sydney Morehouse — [page](https://film.one/film/the-toy.md)
- *Superman II* (1980), Fi1m 74, as Otis — [page](https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md)
- *Exorcist II: The Heretic* (1977), Fi1m 38, as Edwards — [page](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md)
- *All the President's Men* (1976), Fi1m 90, as Dardis — [page](https://film.one/film/all-the-presidents-men.md)
- *Network* (1976), Fi1m 86, as Arthur Jensen — [page](https://film.one/film/network.md)
- *Silver Streak* (1976), Fi1m 63, as Bob Sweet — [page](https://film.one/film/silver-streak.md)
- *Nashville* (1975), Fi1m 89, as Delbert Reese — [page](https://film.one/film/nashville.md)
- *Deliverance* (1972), Fi1m 85, as Bobby Trippe — [page](https://film.one/film/deliverance.md)

## Complete filmography (160)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Big Ask* (2014), as Old Man Carl
- *Baggage Claim* (2013), as Mr. Donaldson
- *Go On* (2012), series, as Coach Spence
- *Rampart* (2011), as Hartshorn
- *Rango* (2011), as Mayor (voice) — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/rango.md)
- *Toy Story 3* (2010), as Lotso (voice) — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story-3.md)
- *The Killer Inside Me* (2010), as Chester Conway
- *In the Electric Mist* (2009), as Twinky LeMoyne
- *Charlie Wilson's War* (2007), as Doc Long
- *Shooter* (2007), as Senator Charles F. Meachum
- *The Walker* (2007), as Jack Delorean
- *Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut* (2006), as Otis
- *Sweet Land* (2005), as Harmo
- *The Wool Cap* (2004), as Gigot's Father
- *Where the Red Fern Grows* (2003), as Sheriff Abe McConnell
- *Thunderpants* (2002), as Gen. Ed Sheppard
- *Roughing It* (2002), as Slade
- *Roughing It* (2002), series, as Slade
- *I Was a Rat* (2001), as Mudduck
- *Spring Forward* (2000), as Murph
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Dr. David Lowry
- *Homicide: The Movie* (2000), as Stanley Bolander
- *Life* (1999), as Dexter Wilkins
- *Cookie's Fortune* (1999), as Lester Boyle
- *He Got Game* (1998), as Warden Wyatt
- *The Curse of Inferno* (1996), as Moles Huddenel
- *E! True Hollywood Story* (1996), series, Actor
- *Crazy Horse* (1996), as Dr. McGillicuddy
- *Gulliver's Travels* (1996), series, as Farmer Grultrad — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/gullivers-travels.md)
- *Streets of Laredo* (1995), series, as Judge Roy Bean
- *The Affair* (1995), as Col. Banning
- *Just Cause* (1995), as McNair
- *Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart* (1995), as Sam Lawrence
- *Radioland Murders* (1994), as General Whalen
- *Replikator* (1994), as Insp. Victor Valiant
- *La Classe américaine* (1993), as Frédéric (archive footage)
- *Warren Oates: Across the Border* (1993), as Narrator (voice)
- *Rudy* (1993), as Daniel Ruettiger
- *The Boys* (1993), series, as Herbert Francis 'Bert' Greenblatt
- *Ed and His Dead Mother* (1993), as Uncle Benny
- *Homicide: Life on the Street* (1993), series, as Stanley Bolander — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/tv/homicide-life-on-the-street.md)
- *Lincoln* (1992), as Dennis Hanks (voice)
- *T Bone N Weasel* (1992), as Doc Tatum
- *Illusions* (1992), as Landlord
- *Earth and the American Dream* (1992), as Reader (voice)
- *The Golden Palace* (1992), series, as Tad Hollingsworth
- *Prelude to a Kiss* (1992), as Dr. Boyle
- *Blind Vision* (1992), as Sgt. Logan
- *Trial: The Price of Passion* (1992), as Scoot Shepard
- *Hear My Song* (1991), as Josef Locke — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/hear-my-song.md)
- *Angel Square* (1991), Actor
- *Going Under* (1991), as Admiral Malice
- *Captain America* (1990), as Sam Kolawetz
- *The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside Story* (1990), as Edward C. Acker
- *Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn* (1990), as Duke of Bridgewater
- *Repossessed* (1990), as Ernest Weller
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Malcolm Reynolds — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *A Cry in the Wild* (1990), as Pilot
- *Chattahoochee* (1990), as Dr. Harwood
- *Big Bad John* (1990), as Charlie Mitchelle
- *Spy* (1989), as Thomas Ludlow
- *Last Train Home* (1989), as Cornelius van Horne
- *Ministry of Vengeance* (1989), as Rev. Bloor
- *Tennessee Nights* (1989), as Charlie Kiefer
- *Time Trackers* (1989), as Harry Orth
- *B.L. Stryker* (1989), series, Actor
- *Physical Evidence* (1989), as James Nicks
- *Purple People Eater* (1988), as Grandpa
- *Go Toward the Light* (1988), as George
- *Roseanne* (1988), series, as Ed Conner — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/roseanne.md)
- *The Passage* (1988), as Matthew Bonner
- *Midnight Crossing* (1988), as Ellis
- *The Unholy* (1988), as Lt. Stern
- *Switching Channels* (1988), as Roy Ridnitz
- *Shadows in the Storm* (1988), as Thelonious Pitt
- *The Trouble with Spies* (1987), as Harry Lewis
- *Rolling Vengeance* (1987), as Tiny Doyle
- *The Haunting of Barney Palmer* (1987), as Cole Scholar
- *The Fourth Protocol* (1987), as Borisov — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/the-fourth-protocol.md)
- *Kiwi Magic* (1987), Actor
- *The Big Easy* (1986), as Jack Kellom
- *Back to School* (1986), as Dean Martin — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md)
- *Hostage Flight* (1985), as Art Hofstadter
- *Konrad* (1985), as Mr. Thomas
- *Restless Natives* (1985), as Bender
- *Answers* (1985), as Senator William Blaine (Segment "The Constituent")
- *Charlotte Forten's Mission: Experiment in Freedom* (1985), as Rev. Mansfield French
- *Robert Kennedy & His Times* (1985), series, as J. Edgar Hoover
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Roy Gunderson
- *Highway to Heaven* (1984), series, as Bill Cassidy
- *The Last Days of Pompeii* (1984), series, as Diomed
- *Celebrity* (1984), series, as Otto Leo
- *Touched* (1983), as Herbie
- *The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez* (1983), as Lynch Mob Leader
- *Stroker Ace* (1983), as Clyde Torkle
- *Kentucky Woman* (1983), as Luke Telford
- *The Toy* (1982), as Sydney Morehouse — Fi1m 46, [page](https://film.one/film/the-toy.md)
- *Rumpelstiltskin* (1982), as The King
- *Faerie Tale Theatre* (1982), series, as The King
- *A Woman Called Golda* (1982), as Sen. Durward
- *A Woman Called Golda* (1982), series, as Senator Durward
- *A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion* (1982), as Benjamin Hammett
- *Pray TV* (1982), as Rev. Freddy Stone
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Lynch Mob Leader, Reverend Mansfield French
- *All the Way Home* (1981), as Ralph Follet
- *Splendor in the Grass* (1981), as Ace Stamper
- *The Violation of Sarah McDavid* (1981), as Dr. Walter Keys
- *The Incredible Shrinking Woman* (1981), as Dan Beame
- *Superman II* (1980), as Otis — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md)
- *Friendly Fire* (1980), as Gene Mullen
- *Hopscotch* (1980), as Myerson
- *All God's Children* (1980), as Mike Naponic
- *Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones* (1980), series, as Rep. Leo Ryan
- *The American Success Company* (1980), as Mr. Elliott
- *1941* (1979), as Ward Douglas
- *Promises in the Dark* (1979), as Bud Koenig
- *Wise Blood* (1979), as Hoover Shoates
- *Superman* (1978), as Otis
- *A Question of Love* (1978), as Dwayne Stabler
- *The Great Bank Hoax* (1978), as Julius Taggart
- *Gray Lady Down* (1978), as Mickey
- *Alambrista!* (1977), as Anglo Coyote
- *Szysznyk* (1977), series, Actor
- *Exorcist II: The Heretic* (1977), as Edwards — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md)
- *Our Town* (1977), as Dr. Gibbs
- *Lucan* (1977), as Larry MacElwaine
- *Nashville 99* (1977), series, as Randy Blair
- *Tail Gunner Joe* (1977), as Sylvester
- *Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected* (1977), series, Actor
- *The Gardener's Son* (1977), as Pinky
- *Mikey and Nicky* (1976), as Kinney
- *Silver Streak* (1976), as Bob Sweet — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/silver-streak.md)
- *Network* (1976), as Arthur Jensen — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/network.md)
- *Delvecchio* (1976), series, as Wakefield
- *Gator* (1976), as Sheriff J.C. Connors (uncredited)
- *The Big Bus* (1976), as Shorty Scotty
- *All the President's Men* (1976), as Dardis — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/all-the-presidents-men.md)
- *NBC Special Treat* (1975), series, as Big Henry
- *The Deadly Tower* (1975), as Allan Crum
- *Nashville* (1975), as Delbert Reese — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/nashville.md)
- *W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings* (1975), as Country Bull
- *Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan* (1975), series, as Ollie Thompson
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), series, as Leon Fielder, Al Brennan — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *Petrocelli* (1974), series, as Gage
- *The Execution of Private Slovik* (1974), as Father Stafford
- *Dying Room Only* (1973), as Tom King
- *White Lightning* (1973), as Sheriff J.C. Connors
- *The Last American Hero* (1973), as Hackel
- *The Marcus-Nelson Murders* (1973), as Det. Dan Corrigan
- *The Thief Who Came to Dinner* (1973), as Deams
- *The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean* (1972), as Tector Crites
- *Footsteps* (1972), as Frank Powell
- *The Streets of San Francisco* (1972), series, as Eddie Boggs
- *M*A*S*H* (1972), series, as Colonel Hollister — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/m-a-s-h-1972.md)
- *The Waltons* (1972), series, as Curtis Norton
- *The Rookies* (1972), series, Actor
- *Deliverance* (1972), as Bobby Trippe — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/deliverance.md)
- *Hawaii Five-O* (1969), series, as Caldwell
- *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Karp
- *Fat Monroe*, as Fat Monroe

## Gallery

- ![Ned Beatty](https://film.one/media/person/79824/gallery-520cafb6ed40.jpg) Ned Beatty — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Ned_Beatty_at_the_1990_Annual_Emmy_Awards_cropped.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![1990 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan](https://film.one/media/person/79824/gallery-0fe0b8398205.jpg) 1990 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Ned_Beatty_%282081521273%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![1990 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan](https://film.one/media/person/79824/gallery-10bdfb7a5284.jpg) 1990 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Ned_Beatty_%282081521273%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Ned Beatty is one of the stars of Sweet Land. He had just finished signing the 'Riverview Theater's copy of the movie poster. (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/79824/gallery-5a3f996144a0.jpg) Ned Beatty is one of the stars of Sweet Land. He had just finished signing the 'Riverview Theater's copy of the movie poster. (2006) — Ned Beatty.jpg: Dan
derivative work: Connormah (talk | contribs), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Ned_Beatty_cropped.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Ned Beatty](https://film.one/media/person/79824/gallery-b2d26381ef8f.jpg) Ned Beatty — Image via TMDB
- ![Ned Beatty](https://film.one/media/person/79824/gallery-803c82425847.jpg) Ned Beatty — Image via TMDB
- ![Ned Beatty](https://film.one/media/person/79824/gallery-03e7827c964f.jpg) Ned Beatty — Image via TMDB
- ![Ned Beatty is one of the stars of Sweet Land. He had just finished signing the 'Riverview Theater's copy of the movie poster. (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/79824/gallery-7e375f155688.jpg) Ned Beatty is one of the stars of Sweet Land. He had just finished signing the 'Riverview Theater's copy of the movie poster. (2006) — Dan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Ned_Beatty.jpg/1280px-Ned_Beatty.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1977: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Network*

### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- MTV Movie Award for Best Villain 2011: MTV Movie Award for Best Villain (nominated), for *Toy Story 3*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ned-beatty