Gammon logged more than 135 television and screen credits, from "The Wild Wild West" and "Gunsmoke" to "Grey's Anatomy" and "Monk," and delivered memorable performances in "Urban Cowboy," "Silverado," "Major League" and "Cold Mountain."
View full sizeActor James Gammon earned a spot in the hearts of Cleveland sports fans with his portrayal of no-nonsense Indians manager Lou Brown in "Major League" in 1989.Hal Boedeker, The Orlando Sentinel
ORLANDO, Fla. -- James Gammon, a graduate of Orlando's Boone High School who became one of the top character actors in movies, television and theater, including as crusty Indians manager Lou Brown in "Major League," died Friday in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was 70, and also had a home in Ocala, Fla.
"He had cancer two and a half years ago," his wife, Nancy, said Saturday. "It came back aggressively about a month ago in his adrenal glands and liver, and he was very weak. They couldn't do surgery or chemotherapy. He decided he wanted to come home, and we did hospice."
Gammon started his career by working at Channel 6 in Orlando and acting in local theater. He moved on to California, acted in TV series and made his film debut in "Cool Hand Luke," the 1967 classic starring Paul Newman.
Gammon logged more than 135 television and screen credits, from "The Wild Wild West" and "Gunsmoke" to "Grey's Anatomy" and "Monk." He delivered memorable performances in "Urban Cowboy," "Silverado," "Major League" and "Cold Mountain." He played Don Johnson's father on "Nash Bridges."
"He had this great voice," said actor and friend Tom Bower. "Onstage, he could do King Lear, but on film, he was more often thought of as the gnarly, western guy."
Gammon was a crucial influence on the playwright Sam Shepard.
Gammon acted in Shepard's "Curse of the Starving Class," "A Lie of the Mind," "The Late Henry Moss" and "Simpatico." Gammon was nominated for a Tony for the Broadway revival of Shepard's "Buried Child" and acted in Shepard's film "Don't Come Knocking."
Theater was Gammon's first love, he told the Orlando Sentinel in 1996. "If I could make the money you make in film doing theater, I would take theater," he said. "I've always been a theater person, and you kind of pay to do that. It's a cost to you personally to indulge your art."
His wife said, "He was very proud of his stage work. One time he was referred to as Sam Shepard's muse. He did a lot of plays for Sam and originated a lot of characters."
He also founded his own theater group, the MET, in Los Angeles, in the 1970s. His wife said there will be a memorial service at the MET in August.
Nancy said her husband's favorite films were "Major League," "Cool Hand Luke" (he forged friendships that lasted the rest of his life) and the western "Silverado" (he liked the director Lawrence Kasdan).
Gammon's other survivors include two daughters, Allison Mann of Costa Mesa, and Amy Gammon of West Hollywood, Calif.; two grandsons, Henry James Mann and Hudson Richard Mann; a brother, Phillip Gammon of North Ridge, Calif.; and a sister, Sandra Glaudell of Ocala.