THE FINAL FRONTIER
NED BEATTY 1937-2021
SFX salutes Superman’s unforgettable Otis
► SCI-FACT!
Marvel is also reprinting Moon Knight’s first appearance in 1975’s Werewolf By Night in a new facsimile edition.
Never destined for leading man status, Ned Beatty carved out an enviable niche as one of Hollywood’s most in-demand character actors. Making his screen debut in 1972’s Deliverance, he was Oscarnominated for an incendiary performance in Network (1976). 1978’s Superman saw him as the perfect comic stooge, Otis, dim-witted henchman to Gene Hackman’s eternally exasperated criminal genius Lex Luthor. As Beatty recalled, director Richard Donner “had more fun with my character than even I did. He loved that character for some reason… That was a special experience.” Kentucky-born Beatty reprised the role in 1980’s Superman II. Other genre credits include Exorcist II: The Heretic, 1990’s Captain America and the voice of Lotso, the menacing teddy bear in Toy Story 3.