Jack Betts, recognized for his role as Henry Balkan in Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ (2002), and for a career spanning spaghetti Westerns and theatre, died at the age of 96. His death was confirmed by his nephew, Dean Sullivan.
Betts, a native of New Jersey, spent his youth in Miami. He was inspired to pursue acting after watching ‘Wuthering Heights’ in 1939. He studied theatre at the University of Miami and later trained at the Actors Studio in New York. His acting career began on Broadway with ‘Richard III’, and he subsequently starred in various stage and film productions, including a three-year run in the play ‘Dracula’.
In the 1960s, Betts starred in numerous popular Italian Western films, such as ‘Sugar Colt.’ Later, he was seen in American TV shows like ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘Frasier,’ and ‘Everybody Loves Raymond.’
Betts’s final on-screen roles were in ‘My Name Is Earl,’ ‘Recovery Road,’ and ‘Good Trouble’ (2019).
The Beverly Hills Playhouse offered a tribute, stating, “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.”