Veteran Hollywood actor Beau Starr, best known for his roles in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, the Halloween film franchise and the TV drama Due South, has died at the age of 81.
Actor Beau Starr has died
His death was confirmed by his younger brother, actor Mike Starr, who said he died peacefully of natural causes at his home in Vancouver, Canada on April 24. The news was first reported by TMZ on Saturday.
Starr’s passing drew tributes from across the entertainment industry, and he is remembered by colleagues and fans as one of Hollywood’s most reliable character actors, whose work spanned more than four decades.
Born in Queens, New York on September 1, 1944, Starr first pursued a career in professional sports before entering acting. He spent time with the New York Jets practice squad and later played two seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats before turning his attention to the screen.
His career and legacy
He began his acting career in the late 1970s and has steadily built a reputation as a reliable backing artist. His breakthrough film credits included roles in Hanky Panky and Summer School, but he became widely recognized for his roles as Sheriff Ben Meeker in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. His performances in the horror franchise have made him a familiar face to fans of the genre.
Starr is also remembered by mainstream audiences for his role as Henry Hill’s father in Scorsese’s 1990 mob classic Goodfellas, a film widely regarded as one of cinema’s defining crime dramas. He later appeared in films including Speed, The Devil in Blue and Cinderella Man.
On television, Starr enjoyed one of his longest-running roles as Lt. Harding Welsh on the Canadian-American police series Due South, appearing for several seasons between 1994 and 1999. His extensive television credits also included appearances on Knight Rider, The A-Team, MacGyver, Night Court, and NYPD Blue.
Mike Starr described his brother as “very unique and special,” adding that Beau played a major role in his upbringing and had a lasting impact on his life.
Starr is survived by his family and left behind a legacy on screen that spanned more than 130 film and television productions.
