NEWS: Actor Jack Palance, Dead at 87

CELEB: Actor Jack Palance, Dead at 87

Oscar and Emmy winning actor Jack Palance died of natural causes in his California home today, he was 87. Palance had earned one Emmy award in 1965 for Requiem for a Heavyweight, and one supporting actor Oscar in 1992, for his role as "Curly" in City Slickers.

Upon accepting his award on the live telecast, the 6 foot 4 actor dropped to the floor and began to display his enduring physical prowess by doing a set of one armed pushups. It was one of those magical moments that happens too rarely in the stuffy self-congratulatory atmosphere of awards shows, winning the hearts of millions of viewers.

His long and varied life included stints in the Air Force and as a prizefighter.

Palance, in his 54 year acting career, began on the Broadway stage, later moving to film, acting in menacing tough guy roles (Panic in the Streets, Shane, Che!, Batman) then, while in his 70's he earned new fame in several successful comedies, using his tough-guy talents to win laughs.

Awww that makes me sad, he was awesome.

RIP =[[[

Believe it......or not.

I'm going to watch City Slickers in his honor this weekend.

Wow. One of his homes are just a few miles from me. He just had an auction of a bunch of his stuff there actually. Well even if he and my father didnt get along I am sorry to hear that he's gone.

RIP Jack.

THATS jack palance???? bummer, I heard he died earlier but I had no idea who it was..now I do and it makes me sad

one of my favorite actors.

too bad. but he lived a good long life.

we should all hope to still be that smooth and cool in our sunset years...

Yeah, it is sad. Old school Hollywood gets closer and closer to completely disappearing everyday. They'll all be memories soon. RIP. Also, Ed Bradley & Gerald Levert; peace and solace to all their families during these difficult times.

heard that

I grew up watching the original Ripley's Believe it or Not, and his cool creepiness always kept me coming back for more. Even when Marie Osmond became his co-host. Nothing could stop my love/fear relationship with Palance. I am terribly, terribly sorry to see him pass on.

Damn. Now that was a cool guy, w/one of the coolest voices ever.

-TM

best line in an a so-bad-it's-good-film*

"There you go thinking again. That's gonna be the cause of your downfall"

* - yes, mr. palance was responsible, and yes, it was tango and cash.
well, it was that or "pick up the gun" and I would've thought someone (hell, anyone) would've beaten me to that.

Yeah, jack kicked ass.

Funny, you beat me to Tango and Cash. I loved him in that. And what the hell was up with him and those mice?

This is a sad day.

Sad to see him go. He was a great actor.

That's unfortunate, I feel a little bad I already thought he'd died . . . or was that Charleton Heston, cause Palance is definitely he superior of the two.

Jack left on his own terms. Now he is free to become an Archetype.

I remember the 92 Oscars very well yet..... the only one I watched really...

Jack and the one arm push ups and Billy Crystal making it the best running joke ever.

That broadcast alone made Jack the man.

From imdb:

Despite all of his film work, Palance will forever be remembered for turning an Oscar acceptance speech into an uproarious display of his physical agility. While accepting his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for City Slickers (1991) at the 64th Annual Academy Awards (1992) he stumbled through a half-hearted acceptance speech and then, at a loss for anything else to say, flopped down on the floor and began doing a series of one-handed push-ups. Afterwards when he was asked about the stunt he simply said, "I didn't know what the hell else to do". A year later when he provided the voice of Rothbart in the The Swan Princess (1994), his character is featured doing one-handed push-ups.

Goodbye.