Sad news reaches us as Wilford Brimley, who played the kindly Noa Briqualon in Ewoks: The Battle For Endor, passed away yesterday aged 85. In a career spanning over 50 years, Brimley stacked up a stellar roster of films including the legendary Cocoon with Ron Howard, True Grit, The China Syndrome, The Thing, The Natural, The Firm, right up to his final film Timber The Treasure Dog in 2016.
HIs death was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by his manager Lynda Bensky, who said the actor died on Saturday morning (August 1) in Utah.
“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.”
His talent agent Dominic Mancini also shared a statement, writing: “He was a wonderful man, a joy to be around, and his dry sense of humour and iconic voice left an ever lasting impression on every person he met. I was lucky to call him a friend. To know Wilford, was to love Wilford. He had an amazing career, and sliced through the screen with his dry wit, stoic stature, and powerful conveyance. His unique blend of unexpected comedy and indelible storytelling will always remain unmatched.”
Of course, we know him best in these parts as Noa from Battle For Endor, and as he passes on we tip our hat and clean our glasses in memory of a true class act of an actor.
