He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. Gotham Knights Horror Icon Doug Bradley Playing Iconic DC Villain in The CW Series! Death Proof (2007) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. I wrote both #RedState and @tuskthemovie FOR Parks, I loved his acting so much. She noted he was a friend to such varied celebrities as Jean Renoir,Johnny Cashand Lenny Bruce, for whom he was a pallbearer. Other noteworthy performances from Michael Parks include his work in Argo, Twin Peaks and Walker Texas Ranger. Farewell, old friend. He appeared in four episodes: If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin?, The First Taste, Strange Love, and the original pilot. Here is all you want to know, and more! Tarantino cast him in multiple roles in both parts of "Kill Bill" and his "Death Proof" half of 2007's "Grindhouse.". No cause of death was named. I saw him in Kevin Smith's Red State as this crazy preacher." Read on to learn more about 48-year-old James Parks. He died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, his agent, Jane Schulman, said on Wednesday. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Browning worked at Wakulla Springs in the 1940s and learned to perform in underwater newsreels conceived by Newt Perry, who later took Browning along when he opened Weeki Wachee Springs. One purpose of the death certificate is to obtain a simple description of the sequence or process leading to death rather than a record describing all medical conditions present at death. For the series, Parks, who recorded a number of albums throughout his career, sang the popular closing theme song, "Long Lonesome Highway. He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. Farewell, old friend. (Getty). I was so fucking blessed to have worked with this bonafide genius. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. All rights reserved. Michael Parks as a menacing preacher in the film Red State, 2011, directed by Kevin Smith, who considered Parks to be the best actor he had ever known. The driver watches the girls and then speeds off down the road. Michael Parks as Earl McGraw in From Dusk Till Dawn. Bloody Disgusting has learned today that Ricou Browning, known for playing the titular Creature from the Black Lagoon in Universals original 1954 horror classic, has passed away this week at the age of 93. Only Michael Parks could have delivered the line Is man indeed a walrus at heart? and make it scary as fuck. He could be mean, and people who knew him said [about me], Another James Dean, without even knowing me.. For example, in October, 2020, a 25-year-old-man. He was 77. The song playing in the scene is an altered version of "Down in Mexico" by The Coasters. He was 77. But really, I was just lucky to have known him at all. Michael Parks, longtime Hollywood mainstay and beloved character actor and singer, has passed away at the age of 77. May 18, 8 a.m. She said that she was going out with her friends that night, and if anyone sees Arlene, then they should approach her and give her a drink. Kevin Smith used his personal Instagram to break the news, announcing that Michael Parks was no longer with us. And thats really rare you know, the talent, the level of work. Orson Oblowitzs crime drama The Queen of Hollywood Blvd. and a starring role in the animated short Other Fish., Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, Raquel Welch Dead at 82: Actress Was a Symbol of the Liberated '60s, Telluride Co-Founder and Francis Ford Coppola Producer Tom Luddy Dies, 45 Great Films That Failed at the Box Office, The Best Picture Race Got a Lot More Confusing This Week, Tom Cruise Made the Rounds This Week, but Other Oscar Nominees Got More Applause Than Top Gun: Maverick, These Oscar Categories Are the Hardest to Predict, Translating the Unconscious Into Images: The Cinematography of Bardo, Poker Face Takes Viewers on a Cross-Country Road Trip Without Leaving New York, Why TR Looks Different from Every Other Movie of 2022, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. In Tarantinos cult-classic film From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Parks played Texas Ranger Edgar McGraw. He is survived by his wife, Oriana Parks, whom he married in 1997, and his son. Parks was briefly married while 16 years old to Louise Johnson, with whom he had a daughter. You will be redirected back to your article in, Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. You would roll the cameras and watch the magic happen.. But really, I was just lucky to have known him at all. Both men are total professionals, he explains. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Michael Parks (Getty) Veteran actor Michael Parks, known for his roles in the " Kill Bill " series, the 1990 TV series " Twin Peaks " and " Tusk " died at the age of 77 on Tuesday. Michael Parks, a veteran character actor memorable in a long career of quirky and award-winning films and TV shows, died Tuesday. 2, as well as in Grindhousefilms Planet Terror and Death Proof Quentin Tarantino has stated on the record that Parks was the greatest living actor of his time. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. Youre not just showing up to work with anyone and theyre ready. Parks claimed: If you dont play the game, you dont work. During the 70s and 80s, he could only muster sporadic appearances in independent films., Yet Parks persevered, and his career eventually hit a major upswing after years of creative and independent choices. In Austin, Texas, the girlfriends Julia, Arlene and Shanna meet in a bar to drink, smoke and make out with their boyfriends before traveling alone to Lake LBJ to spend the weekend together. Genre actor and Quentin Tarantino favorite Michael Parks has passed away at the age of 77. Wikipedia details Brownings interesting career trajectory, Browning started a career in water shows, moving on to produce shows. The news was shared on Instagram Wednesday afternoon by Kevin Smith, who worked with Parks on recent projects like Red State and Tusk. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The opening titles come up as Shanna (Jordan Ladd) and Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito) drive around in their car. Biography - A Short Wiki Actor who appeared in television series including Perry Mason, The Colbys, and Twin Peaks, as well as movies by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Ann Margret and Michael Parks rekindle a relationship after arriving home from the Navy in a scene from the 1964 film "Bus Riley's Back in Town. Michael Parks in Kevin Smiths Red State. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set.. . Michael Parks, the veteran Hollywood character actor who appeared inKill Bill, Django Unchained and Red State, has died. On AMCs The Son, James plays the recurring role of Niles Gilbert. The news was announced by filmmaker Kevin Smith, who took to his Instagram. Farewell, old friend. Parks' agent confirmed the actor's death to The Hollywood Reporter, though a cause of death was not revealed. Parks also starred as a disillusioned, motorcycle-riding newsman in the 1969 series "Then Came Bronson." Menu. Wikipedia details Brownings interesting career trajectory. They all make it apparent that Julia issued a challenge to her listeners about Arlene on the radio earlier. The Blackening Trailer Horror-Comedy Spoofs Slasher Tropes from a Black Perspective, Agent Elvis Trailer Elvis Gets Bloody in Netflixs Adult Animated Series on March 17th, From Season 2 Teaser Trailer Critically Acclaimed Series Returns to MGM+ in April. Okay Quentin, I get it! When a death occurs, a certifier must determine the cause (s) of death and accurately report it on the death certificate. NEW YORK Michael Parks, a prolific character actor who found early fame in 1960s countercultural roles and later became a favorite of directors including Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, has died. ", He played the Canadian drug runner Jean Renault on David Lynch's "Twin Peaks. Parks starred on Then Came Bronson, appeared on legal dramas like Perry Mason and Sam Benedict and had roles on the Dynasty spinoff series The Colbys and David Lynchs Twin Peaks, where he played the Canadian drug runner Jean Renault. Over the four years it was on air, the HBO series garnered a handful of awards Anna Paquin, who played the lead, earned a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, and was nominated for a Saturn Award. One of the most memorable scenes in Death Proof features a steamy lapdance that is given to Mike by Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito). There is no specific cause of his death. She said he was in more than 100 films and TV shows over a 50-year career, starting as a contract player in 1961 in the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys. For the first five seasons, it received critical acclaim, but when showrunner Alan Ball was replaced, its ratings started to dip. "I was so blessed to have worked with this bonafide genius," he wrote. He died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, his agent, Jane Schulman, said on Wednesday. The same charges were levelled at his performance in The Idol (1966), a melodrama in which he played a young man who seduces his friends mother (Jennifer Jones). Still plays with toys. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. Michael was, and will likely for ever remain, the best actor Ive ever known, said Smith, who directed him as a menacing preacher in Red State (2011) and as a sinister seaman with a bizarre walrus fixation in Tusk (2014). Born in Corona, south-east of Los Angeles, Parks worked in various jobs and was at one stage invited to play minor league baseball, an offer he turned down because it paid less than his job at that time, upholstering coffins. People died of natural causes, of suicide, and for many, accidents. Smith directed Parks in both his Tusk and Red State, having relished the longtime actors career since first seeing him in Robert Rodriguezs From Dusk Till Dawn. Though Parks career stretched back to 1960, when he made his screen debut on TVs Zane Grey Theater, in recent years, the supporting standout had enjoyed a revival at the hands of both Quentin Tarantino (who Smith deemed Parks biggest fan) and Smith, who continued to craft roles for the singular actor. May 10, 2017 / 1:14 PM The character actor got his big break in 1960s countercultural roles. Parks worked with Kevin Smith on his movies Red State and Tusk, which Smith says he wrote specifically for the actor. He played Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in Rodriguez's "From Dusk Till Dawn," a role he reprised in "Kill Bill" and "Grindhouse." Shanna and Arlene pick up their DJ friend, Jungle Julia (Sydney Poitier), and they drive around while talking about boys and drugs. Both roles were written especially for him by Smith, who said: He will take a page of dialogue and deliver it in a different way than anybody else., Parks had appeared earlier as the mobster and drug-runner Jean Renault in David Lynchs cult television series Twin Peaks (199091), but his career resurgence really began after a scene-stealing appearance in the vampire movie From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), directed by Rodriguez and written by Tarantino, who also starred in the film alongside George Clooney. I gotta write for him one day. It took me 15 years but my dream came true on Red State for which Parks won Best Actor at the Sitges Film Festival and then again years later with Tusk. Jackson" Behind the Scenes Movie Interview, RELEASE DATE: December 25, 2015 DIRECTOR: Quentin Tarantino CAST: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demin Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Zo Bell, Channing Tatum PLOT: In post-Civil War Wyoming, John "The Hangman" Ruth is escorting fugitive Daisy "The Prisoner" Domergue to Red Rock where the latter will face. For many years, Browning had been the last surviving original actor to portray any of the classic Universal Monsters. He is repped by GVA Talent Agency and David Styne. Many of his early starring roles were in anti-establishment '60s-era films such as "Wild Seed," ''The Happening," with Anthony Quinn, and "Bus Riley's Back in Town," alongside Ann-Margret. If they do all that and call her "butterfly," then Arlene will give them a lap dance. Michael Parks . Fourteen months later, Mike turns up in Lebanon, Tennessee . I gotta write for him one day." The Day of the Triffids Amazon Studios Miniseries in the Works, Fatal Attraction Teaser Trailer Paramount+ Reimagines a Classic 1980s Thriller, Children of the Corn Review Eleventh Entry Pleads a Strong Case to Let the Franchise Die, We Have a Ghost Review Gateway Horror Adventure Uses Ghostly Charms to Capture Family Bonds, Cocaine Bear Review A Raucously Entertaining and Gory Horror-Comedy, The Strays Review Netflixs Social Thriller Feels Like an Incomplete Experience, Atomic Heart Review A Disappointing and Frustrating Spiritual Successor Experience, Texas Chainsaw Massacre III and 10 Horror Sequels Featuring Stars Before They Were Famous, Solomon Kane Appreciating the Pulp Horrors of an Underrated Dark Fantasy Film, The Amityville Horror Is a Mid-Tier Update from the 2000s Remake Boom [The Amityville IP], Scream VI We Sliced into the Stabby Meal and Walked Through the Films Immersive Experience, Shudders Attachment and 5 Great Dybbuk Stories from Film and TV, The Wolf Among Us 2 Delayed From 2023 Release, Infernax Deux or Die Update Adds Multiplayer, New Character [Trailer], Return to Silent Hill Plot, Preliminary Casting Revealed for New Movie, Underwater Terror Awaits in Beneath From Camel 101, Coming to PlayStation, Xbox and PC [Trailer], Motive Studio Remakes the Dead Space Lullaby Trailer [Watch]. "But really, I was just lucky to have known him at all. Farewell, old friend. Many of his early starring roles were in anti-establishment '60s-era films such as "Wild Seed," ''The Happening," with Anthony Quinn, and "Bus Riley's Back in Town," alongside Ann-Margret. All rights reserved. You will be missed. But really, I was just lucky to have known him at all. It makes you bring your game. He is survived by his wife, Oriana Parks, whom he married in 1997, and his son. Parks robust television career continued long into the 80s and 90s,most notably witha role on the Dynasty spinoff The Colbys and a second-season stint on Twin Peaks., Parks was also an accomplished and lauded singer, whosang the theme song for the show Long Lonesome Highway, which became a #20 Billboard Hot 100 and #41 Hot Country Songs hit. I wrote both Red State and Tusk FOR Parks, I loved his acting so much. Parks died on May 9, 2017 in Los Angeles, at the age of 77. Though the fictional father-son duo of Earl and Edgar McGraw was killed off From Dusk Till Dawn, it has returned in several other films by Rodriguez and Tarantino, like Kill Bill: Volume 1 and several Grindhouse projects. Tarantino cast him in multiple roles in both parts of "Kill Bill" and his "Death Proof" half of 2007's "Grindhouse." Sometimes, the characters followed Parks from filmmaker to filmmaker. Parks more recent appearances were in the filmsThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Argo, We Are What We Are, and the aforementioned Red State and Tusk. He also worked with Tarantino on Django Unchained. That same year, he could be seen opposite Brad Pittand Casey AffleckinThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Cause-of-death statements on death certificates capture the sequence of events leading to death, plus the time interval between the onset of each condition and death. No cause of death was announced. Harry Samuel (Michael) Parks, actor, born 24 April 1940; died 9 May 2017, Actor likened to James Dean in his youth who was adopted in middle age by hip directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. First published on May 10, 2017 / 1:14 PM. (Getty). ", "Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I've ever known," Smith wrote on Instagram. He then went on to work steadily, in projects like Wild Seed, The Bible: In the Beginning, and movies like The Return of Josey Wales, which he starred in and directed. Parks is survived by his son James and his wife Oriana. Sometimes, the characters followed Parks from filmmaker to filmmaker. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Austin, Texas. Michael Parks, a prolific character actor who found early fame in 1960s countercultural roles and later became a favorite of directors including Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, has died. Legal Statement. Actor James Parks (R) and guest attend the world premiere of The Hateful Eight presented by The Weinstein Company at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome on December 7, 2015 in Hollywood, California. His death in Los Angeles was confirmed by his. Bebe Neuwirth Boards Frasier Sequel at Paramount+, Priscilla Presley to Voice Herself in Agent Elvis Animated Series at Netflix, Today Co-Host Hoda Kotb Absent Over Family Health Matter, Liberty Media Fourth-Quarter Revenue Grows Across SiriusXM, Atlanta Braves, F1 Units, Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Irish Drama The Miracle Club Starring Laura Linney, Maggie Smith and Kathy Bates, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre Review: Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza in Guy Ritchies Tired Action Comedy, Chris Pine Reveals What Really Happened With Spit-Gate and Explains Those Dont Worry Darling Memes, Brendan Fraser Says He Nearly Died on the Set of The Mummy: I Was Choked Out Accidentally, Peter Pan & Wendy Trailer Sees the Darling Siblings Return to Neverland, Hayao Miyazakis Castle in the Sky to Get Theatrical Rerelease in China, BTS Army: Heres When and Where Legos Dynamite-Inspired Set Arrives Online and In Stores, From Makeup Must-Haves to Skin Care Superstars, These Black-Owned Beauty Brands Are Best-Sellers, Rachel Zoe on Her Go-To Wedding Registry Gifts, Bridal Style Tips and More, Reese Witherspoons Draper James and Tretorn Debut New Collection of Spring-Ready Sneakers, Lord of the Rings: Amazon, Warner Bros. Ready for Tolkien Battle, How the Landscape of Native-Led Stories Has Changed Between Avatars: Were Flexing Our Sovereignty, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. Sometimes, the characters followed Parks from filmmaker to filmmaker. Tarantino acquired the record as a teenager. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. He played Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in Rodriguez's "From Dusk Till Dawn," a role he reprised in "Kill Bill" and "Grindhouse." As an actor, Michael Parks had a nearly 60-year career in the business, getting his start on an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1958. "I wrote both 'Red State' and 'Tusk' for Parks, I loved his acting so much. Director Kevin Smith, who collaborated with the actor several times in recent years, first broke the news. Parks appeared in a number of films from the trio of filmmakers, including Tarantinos Kill Bill duo, the Grindhouse omnibus, Death Proof, Planet Terror, and Django Unchained. In 2012, he had a small but crucial role in Best Picture winner Argo., Parks upcoming slate includes a number of new offerings, fromOrson Oblowitzs crime drama The Queen of Hollywood Blvd. and a starring role in the animated short Other Fish.. Most of his work, including a recurring role on the Dynasty spin-off The Colbys (1987), was confined to television, at least until Rodriguez and Tarantino revived interest in him. Market data provided by Factset. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set.". Arlene gets after Jungle Julia for saying that on the air, but she says that if she doesn't do it, everyone will know that she's chicken shit. Each turned to Parks again and again for meaty supporting roles. Hospital scene in the movie Death Proof Cast in scene: Michael Parker as Earl McGraw James parks as Edgar McGraw Marley Shelton as Dr. Dakota Block McGraw, The Hateful Eight: James Parks "O.B. He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. But, in this high-octane chase, there can be only one winner, and the girls are not willing to go down without a fight. I gotta write for him one day. It took me 15 years but my dream came true on Red State (for which Parks won Best Actor at the @sitgesfestival) and then again years later with #tusk. I'll see you farther along #KevinSmith #actor #genius #rip #walrusyes". Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Parks was born Harry Samuel Parks on April 24, 1940, in Corona, Calif., and grew up as the son of a baseball player. Dean, to whom he bore some resemblance, was a name routinely invoked by reviewers, and Parks even claimed that the more famous actors reputation for surliness had a bad effect on his own prospects. Michael Parks, a prolific character actor who found early fame in 1960s countercultural roles and later became a favorite of directors including Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, has died. Tarantino cast him in his slavery thriller Django Unchained (also 2012). For the series, Parks, who recorded a number of albums throughout his career, sang the popular closing theme song, "Long Lonesome Highway. ", A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith). Each turned to Parks again and again for meaty supporting roles. He was 77. He also played an ageing Mexican pimp in Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004). Genre actor and Quentin Tarantino favorite Michael Parks has passed away at the age of 77. Character actor Michael Parks has died after a career that lasted more than 50 years. Smith gave Parks the largest roles of the trio, including his 2014 film "Tusk," which paired him with Johnny Depp, and 2011's "Red State," as a preacher. Fourteen months after escaping charges in Austin, Texas, the grizzled Hollywood stunt double, Mike McKay, ditches his black, souped-up 1970 Chevy Nova SS, and finds himself in Lebanon, Tennessee, to pick up where he left off. Michael Parks was also originally supposed to star in Yoga Hosers, but for health reasons, he wasn't able to take the part. Sometimes, the characters followed Parks from filmmaker to filmmaker. Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor Ive ever known. NEW YORK -- Michael Parks, most recently known for his roles in movies by Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, has died at 77. The manner of death: natural Autopsy: yes/no Part I a. Fourteen months later, Mike turns up in Lebanon, Tennessee and chase Abernathy, Zo and Kim, but these girls are tough and decide to pay-back the attack. He had a successful music career, recording a series of albums in the late 1960s and early 70s and appearing on the Johnny Cash Show. or redistributed. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. My heart goes out to James (Michaels son), Oriana (Michaels wife), Quentin Tarantino (Michaels biggest fan) and any movie or music lover who was ever dazzled by the talents of Michael Parks. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set. 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. From Dusk till Dawn actor Michael Parks has died at age 77. He travelled the US on a motorcycle as the hero of the television series Then Came Bronson (1969-70) and scored Billboard chart success with his recording of the theme song, Long Lonesome Highway. He returned to television in 1973 and appeared occasionally in movies, among them North Sea Hijack (1980) starring Roger Moore, and the thriller Storyville (1992) with James Spader. In a career that spanned six decades, Parks acted in more than 100 films and TV shows. Parks also was a favorite of Quentin Tarantino,appearing in his Kill Bill films, and of Robert Rodriguez,who directed him in 1996'sFrom Dusk to Dawn. He was discovered by the actor Frank Silvera while performing with a theatre group in Hermosa Beach, on Los Angeles South Bay coast, in 1958. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 2 and Kevin Smith film Tusk, died Tuesday at age 77.No cause of death was announced. Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor Ive ever known. From the moment I saw him steal the opening scene of #fromdusktildawn at an advance screening at the Sunset 5 back in the mid-90s, I said to @samosier Could you imagine what it must be like to work with a Yoda of acting like that guy? He made his on-screen debut in 1990 in the Gerald McRaney TV movie Blind Vengeance. Though the star overcame a horrific childhood and rose to fame with his direction of Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven, his dark demons never left him. He was hands-down the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. The 'Twin Peaks' and 'Kill Bill' star worked with filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Smith. It's a mindless action film meant solely for Tarantino fans. Brazilian Master of Horror Jos Mojica Marins Has Passed Away. What is the streaming release date of Death Proof (2007) in the United States? Were incredibly sad to report today that actor/singerMichael Parks, who most recently owned the screen in Kevin Smiths Red State and Tusk, has just passed away at the age of 77. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. Movie Actress Smith on Wednesday called him "my cinematic muse. Brian G. Huttons 1965 romantic drama, Wild Seed, which cast him as a mysterious, but good-hearted drifter. A death certificate is a permanent record of an individual's death. (Getty). Smith on Wednesday called him "my cinematic muse. Kevin Smith paid tribute to his friend on Facebook today, echoing Tarantinos sentiments: I hate to report that my cinematic muse Michael Parkshas passed away. . Michael Parks is survived by his wife Oriana and son James, who he had the chance to work with on Kill Bill and Death Proof. My favorite memory of Michael is watching him and #johnnydepp act with and at each other, like a couple of dueling wizards, in their shared scene in Tusk. According to Schulman, his pre-acting jobs included picking fruit, digging ditches, driving trucks and fighting forest fires. At least two of his recent films are in post-production, according to his lengthyIMDb page. Michael Parks, the veteran Hollywood character actor who appeared in Kill Bill, Django Unchained and Red State, has died. The characters usually serve as a form of comic relief, and in the Grindhouse films, Earl has a daughter named Dakota who is introduced and plays a large role in Robert Rodriguezs zombie film, Planet Terror. All Rights Reserved. Parks is survived by his wife, Oriana, whom he married in 1997, and a son, the actor James Parks. Michael Parks, a veteran character actor memorable in a long career of quirky and award-winning films and TV shows, died Tuesday. R.I.P. ", He played the Canadian drug runner Jean Renault on David Lynch's "Twin Peaks. My favorite memory of Michael is watching him and Johnny Depp act with and at each other, like a couple of dueling wizards, in their shared scene in Tusk. He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. He was 77. His first screen roles included playing a nephew named Tom in 1961 on the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys and the role of Park on a 1962 Gunsmoke episode. Michael Parks, a character actor best known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino movie Kill Bill: Vol. Michael Parks, a prolific character actor who found early fame in 1960s countercultural roles and later became a favorite of directors including Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, has died. His response was to go to Mexico and chop wood for a living. / CBS San Francisco. ", Parks found perhaps his most famous parts in the 1990s thanks to the interest of Tarantino, Smith and Robert Rodriguez, the often connected independent filmmakers.