The actor best known for his work in 'Cocoon' and 'The Natural' has passed away at the age of 88 while he was being treated for several medical ailments at a hospital in Utah.
- August 3, 2020
AceShowbiz - Wilford, star of "Cocoon" and "The Natural", has died aged 88.
The actor, who worked his way up from movie stunt rider to an indelible character actor, died on Saturday (01Aug20) morning in a Utah hospital, his manager Lynda Bensky confirmed.
He was on dialysis and had several medical ailments, she said.
Brimley's best-known work was in "Cocoon", which saw him star as part of a group of seniors who discover an alien pod that rejuvenates them. The Ron Howard movie won two Oscars, and led to a sequel, "Cocoon: The Return", also starring Brimley.
He also appeared as a grizzled baseball manager opposite Robert Redford's bad-luck phenomenon in "The Natural" - the third time he'd worked with Redford, after previously appearing opposite the actor in "Brubaker" and "The Electric Horseman". Other credits include "Hard Target" and "The Firm", and TV series "The Waltons".
In the '80s and '90s, Wilford became the spokesperson for Quaker Oats and in the early 2000s, he starred in the iconic diabetes commercials for Liberty Medical.
"Wilford Brimley was a man you could trust," Bensky said in a statement. "He said what he meant and he meant what he said. He had a tough exterior and a tender heart. I'm sad that I will no longer get to hear my friend's wonderful stories. He was one of a kind."
Brimley is survived by his wife Beverly and three sons.
