Veteran character actor matt clark, whose six-decade career spanned film and television, has died at his home in Austin, Texas, from complications following back surgery. He was 89.
Matt Clark’s Notable Roles and Western Legacy
An Army veteran who built a durable Hollywood career, Clark’s second film credit came with the 1967 Sidney Poitier classic In the Heat of the Night. He soon established himself in Westerns across the 1970s, appearing in The Cowboys in 1972 with John Wayne, Jeremiah Johnson with Robert Redford, and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean with Paul Newman. His run in the genre also included Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid in 1973 and The Outlaw Josey Wales opposite Clint Eastwood in 1976. Decades later, he returned to the saddle for a comic turn in 2014’s A Million Ways to Die in the West.
To a generation of moviegoers, Clark is perhaps best known as the bartender in Back to the Future Part III, the Western-set finale of the beloved time-travel trilogy. On television, matt clark made guest appearances on long-running hits including Bonanza, Kung Fu, and Dynasty, reinforcing his reputation as a reliable, lived-in presence across genres.
Family Remembrance and Cause of Death
Clark died at home from complications following back surgery., his family described him as an “actor’s actor” who “loved and respected the job, but was not concerned with stars and fame. ” They added that he valued working with “good people who loved their families, ” felt “lucky” about his career, and “he died the way he lived, on his terms. ”
With a body of work that bridged classic Hollywood Westerns, acclaimed dramas, and enduring crowd-pleasers, Clark leaves behind a screen legacy built on craft and quiet versatility, remembered fondly by colleagues and fans alike.
