Actor George Kennedy, who won an Oscar for his supporting role in Cool Hand Luke, starred in the popular Airport movie franchise of the 1970's and played Frank Drebin's partner Ed Hockin in the Naked Gun films has passed away of natural causes at age 91.
Mr. Kennedy was born into a show business family and acting was second nature for him. He began behind the scenes on various television shows and soon found himself in front of the camera in guest starring roles. His leap to the big screen resulted in him winning an Oscar for Cool Hand Luke. The win catapulted him to stardom and he quickly gained roles like that of Joe Patroni in the Airport franchise.
Despite his skill with dramatic roles, George wished to take on comedy. He wanted a role in Airplane! but feared the wrath of the Airport producers. With the Airport franchise long dead, he finally got a chance to do comedy in The Naked Gun. That franchise introduced him to a new audience of appreciative fans. Mr. Kennedy continued to work until recently and always found time to give an autograph or pose for a picture with a fan. He will truly be missed.
