Robert Swan, an actor who starred within the movies “The Untouchables,” “Hoosiers” and “The Babe,” has died. He was 78.
Betty Hoeffner, Swan’s finest good friend, confirmed to The Occasions that the actor died in his sleep Wednesday at his Indiana dwelling after a protracted battle with most cancers.
Swan is finest recognized for portraying a Canadian Mountie captain in Brian De Palma’s “The Untouchables,” an Illinois farmer and father of two in David Anspaugh’s sports activities drama “Hoosiers,” and the daddy of baseball nice Babe Ruth in “The Babe.”
Born on Oct. 20, 1944, Swan started his foray into leisure as a singer, bringing his bass baritone abilities to varied choirs in Illinois. Stints with the Lyric Opera and Chicago Symphony throughout his 20s in the end led to stage roles.
Within the Nineteen Seventies, Swan carried out alongside actors Shelley Berman and Robert Conrad at Illinois’ Little Theater on the Sq.. In 1974, he starred in a Broadway manufacturing of “The Freedom of the Metropolis.”
Years later, Swan appeared in a minor position in 1980’s “Someplace in Time.” The appearing jobs — movie and TV — stored coming within the following years, together with Daniel Petrie’s 1984 movie “The Dollmaker,” starring Jane Fonda.
In 1986, Swan shared the display with Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper and Sheb Wooley in the basketball drama “Hoosiers.” He appeared as Indiana farmer Rollin Butcher, who finally turns into the assistant coach to Hackman’s coach Norman Dale.
Within the ’90s, Swan appeared in a lot of high-profile movies together with Quentin Tarantino’s “Pure Born Killers” and Ron Howard’s “Backdraft.” In 1993, Swan and Anspaugh reunited for one other sports activities drama, “Rudy,” starring Sean Astin within the title position.
Swan’s extra movie credit embody “Who’s That Woman,” “Backdraft” and “Going All of the Manner.” He additionally appeared in the tv sequence “Lacking Individuals,” “The Twilight Zone” and “The Equalizer.”
When Swan’s profession hit a lull within the early aughts, he turned his efforts to voice-over jobs. He recorded film trailers, commercials and promotions for a wide range of merchandise.
Swan was additionally an opera singer who based Minnesota’s Harbor Nation Opera, which has carried out “The Magic Flute,” “Les Misérables” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”
He’s survived by spouse Barbara, brothers David and Charles, sister-in-law Elizabeth, nephews Christopher, Bryan and Daniel, and two canine.
A celebration of life is ready to incorporate a studying of Swan’s screenplay “The Saint and the Scoundrel,” however extra particulars have but to be revealed.
