Jack Betts, who played Henry Balkan in Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ (2002) and had a long career in spaghetti Westerns and theatre, has died at the age of 96. Dean Sullivan, his nephew, verified his passing.
Betts, who was born in New Jersey, grew up in Miami. He was influenced to become an actor after seeing the movie ‘Wuthering Heights’ in 1939. He studied theatre at the University of Miami and later trained at the famed Actors Studio in New York. He began his acting career on Broadway with ‘Richard III’ and later featured in plays and movies, including a three-year stint in the play ‘Dracula’.
During the 1960s, Betts acted in many popular Italian Western films, like ‘Sugar Colt’. His later work included appearances on American TV shows such as ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘Frasier,’ and ‘Everybody Loves Raymond.’
Betts’s last screen appearances were in ‘My Name Is Earl,’ ‘Recovery Road,’ and ‘Good Trouble’ (2019).
The Beverly Hills Playhouse posted an emotional tribute: “Our beloved Jack Betts passed away peacefully at home,” the post concluded, “There was only ever one like this, and we are the richer for having his presence in our theatre. Rest in peace, Jack.”