Veteran actor John Beasley passed away suddenly Tuesday after his health “took an unexpected turn for the worse,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 79.
The “Everwood” star died after being hospitalized in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, after undergoing testing on his liver.
Beasley’s son Mike was the first to announce the news, calling his late father his “hero” in a tribute posted to social media.
“Man…you know this is a part of life…but that doesn’t make it any easier,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I lost my best friend today. They say you shouldn’t ever meet your heroes because they don’t turn out to be who you thought they were. That is so wrong. My hero was my father.”
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Mike ended his statement by thanking the “Soul Man” star “for everything” and hoping he made him “proud.”
Beasley’s first acting credit stems back nearly three decades to 1989, but his career didn’t take off until he nabbed a role in “Brewster Place,” a show led by Oprah Winfrey.
He went on to have roles in “The Mighty Ducks” and “The General’s Daughter,” but one of his biggest star turns was on the 2002-2006 TV series “Everwood” with Chris Pratt, in which he played Irv Harper.
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