Image Credit: Everett CollectionOscar-nominated actor Kevin McCarthy, known for his roles in Death of a Salesman and Invasion of the Body Snatchers died Saturday in Hyannis, Mass., according to the New York Times. He was 96 years old, and no cause of death was immediately reported. McCarthy first portrayed Biff in the 1949 London stage version of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman before scoring an Oscar nod and Golden Globe win for doing the role in the 1951 film version. His most remembered part, however, was Mile Bennell, a doctor in cult sci-fi flick Invasion of the Body Snatchers who tries to escape the movie’s infamous “podification” alongside a divorcée played by Dana Wynter. The film had a humble, low-budget B movie beginning, but went on to be selected for the National Film Registry in 1994, and the American Film Institute named it one of the Top 10 science fiction films of all time in 2008.
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Kevin McCarthy: An appreciation of the ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ icon
How sad. did not realize he was that old
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I remember him most from Innerspace with Martin Short, Dennis Quaid, and Meg Ryan. Guess that shows my age.
THANK YOU! I was trying to picture where I remembered him from!
yeah, same here. i thought he was around 65 to 70yo. RIP kevin m.
Weird to think he was Montgomery Clift’s best friend way back in the 50′s and 60′s.
i remember him most when he was on the golden girls as blanche’s rich boyfriend. that was a good episode. r.i.p kevin mccarthy
I also didn’t think he was that old. RIP.
R.I.P. Kevin. Thank you for the memories!!!
I knew he was that old. Definitely looked it though he was still well functioning. Had a bit of a part in that bad Anthony Hopkins directed/starred film “Slipstream” last I saw him. He was an iconic name to the horror genre and will be very much missed by me.
Check out Innerspace. In a scene where Martin Short and Meg Ryan are hiding in a greenhouse owned by McCarthy’s charctor,there is a pod.
Loved Innerspace! Great movie!
Not to be the heartless, insensitive one here, cause he was so very great, but, at 96, do you really need a “cause of death”? Cause of death was he was 9-freaking-6!!
Not insensitive, he was 90 freaking 6…now when they said Britney Murphy died of natural causes at 34…that was some freaking BS!!!
she didn’t die of natural causes she had pneumonia
You’re correct, but before the autopsy, it was initially ruled “natural causes” which was obviously BS!
Pneumonia *is* a natural cause of death.
Anyone can die of natural causes at any age. There was a doctor at my son’s school a few years ago whose wife died in her sleep. She was 34 years old, and it was ruled natural causes, likely an aneurysm, stroke or heart attack in her sleep.
Technically, there’s only one cause of death: cardiac failure. What causes that is the question. At 96, the heart needs no excuse to simply say, “Thank you and good night.” Good night to you, Mr. McCarthy.
Living to 96 is an accomplishment. A bit of trivia about Body Snatchers, which I love is that it was supposed to end when he shouted “You’re Next” but it scared people so much in previews they added the other ending so people could think the pods were destroyed. Great film.
Actually, I have always heard that all causes of death is pneumonia, not heart failure. But yours sounds plausible also.
No, technically lack of neurologic function is the only true cause of death.
The government definition of death is the inability to pay taxes.
Technically speaking Violet, pneumonia is a natural cause. So she did indeed die from a natural cause. However it is possible for the pneumonia to have been brought on by an un-natural action, but this is both un-likely & rare.
That was my first thought….96? Cause of death? Hello! I would guess “old age”.
RIP, you were amazing in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That movie is amazing because it was so scary and frightening!!
The invasion of the body snatchers was so scary because the shift from normal person to alien monster was so subtle. Most people appear to be zombied out anyway in real life. Kevin also appeared in he remake, years later with Donald Sullivan. R.I.P.
Actually it was Donald Sutherland in the remake. Good film, but the first one was much better.
What Arthur was saying is the Mr. Mcarthy was in the re-mail. A small but classic part of a well made remake.
That ending Miles did on Ivasion of the Body Snatchers still gives me chills
the ending to that movie scared me so much!! most movies like this end where the aliens or whatever die or go away, but the body snatchers are still around!!
I remember him from a twilight zone episode, where he played a history teacher who did not age, and remembered all the history he taught.
“Long Live Walter Jameson.” Just rewatched it a few days ago. How appropriate that the man who played that role almost hit the century mark. RIP.
I believe he was in the Twilight Zone Movie. He played Anthony’s father. The little boy who made things happen with his mind. He put his sister inside a cartoon on television for smoking.
He played Anthony’s Uncle. Ethel was put in cartoonland because she was accused by the family for putting the note in the teacher’s purse that Anthony is a monster.
He was uncle Walt who got to pull the monster bunny out of the hat.Actually i dont believe any of them were his real family just hostages to a childs whims
RIP BDK….papa
I have reached the age where, whenever I hear of someone dying, the first question I have is “How old where they?” This guy was 96, and left behind a body of memorable film work. That’s a good run, Mr. McCarthy. I applaud you.
†JMJ† Réquiem aetérnam dona eis Dómine.
I remember him most in the “Body Snatcher” movie. And it is a classic. Didn’t realize he was still around.
RIP. A great actor. ‘Invasion’ is a classic sf film & he was hilarious in ‘UHF’.
‘I don’t know home many times I’ve told my boys, never call chicks broads.’ -RJ Fletcher, UHF
Yes! I remembered him in UHF as well!
I remember him on at least one episode of “The Golden Girls”.
I thought he was hilarious in UHF as well. The movie was panned, of course, but it was great seeing Kevin make people laugh instead of cringe in fear. I’m sure he loved that. RIP!
Ah yes, RJ Fletcher. “Parties over Mr Newman.”
Didnt know he was that old. RIP. Great actor
“What’s the matter, kid – you got WAX in your ears??”