One of Hollywood’s most esteemed character actors met a gruesome end, gored by a bull he had rented for breeding on his own farm.
Today, he rests just a few yards from the site of the tragic incident. John Pickard, known for his role in True Grit (1969) alongside John Wayne, hailed from Lascassas, Tennessee and was “one of the greatest character actors to grace the big screen,” as per Rutherford TN History. Pickard began his acting career in 1936 after attending a regular high school.
By 1939, he was featured on a war bond poster for the US Navy. Pickard served in the Navy from 1942-1946, but upon his return, he pursued acting with renewed vigor, becoming a favorite in Western films and dramas. He first shared the screen with John Wayne in The Wake Of The Red Witch (1948) in the late 1940s.
His illustrious career spanned an impressive 40 years, and in 1969, he appeared as Frank Ross in another John Wayne film, True Grit, reports the Mirror.
Before his untimely death, Pickard’s last role was in a 1987 episode of the CBS detective series, Simon and Simon. Tragically, at the age of 80 in 1993, Pickard was killed by a bull during a family picnic on his farm in Lascassas. Unbeknownst to him, the bull he had rented for breeding would be the cause of his death. He left behind his wife, Ann, son John, and three grandchildren.
One of Pickard’s earliest roles came in the 1936 film “Mary of Scotland” when he was just 23 years old. He then secured his first recurring part in the TV series Boots and Saddles, appearing in 38 episodes. The hit show, which was shot in Utah, ran from 1957 to 1958. Pickard’s great-great-grandfather, Rev. James Rucker, was among the early pioneers who settled in what was then Davidson County, Tennessee, now known as Nashville.
His great-aunt, Willie Betty Newman, owned a plantation prior to the Civil War. Willie was also a renowned artist who ran a successful studio.
True Grit sparked significant controversy, with Wayne campaigning hard for the lead part of one-eyed US Marshal Rooster Cogburn after discovering Charles Portis’ novel of the same name.
Notably, Elvis Presley could not be cast in the supporting role of Texan La Boeuf, as the singer’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, insisted on receiving top billing over Wayne himself. Additionally, another actor would ultimately leave the Western icon seething after filming got underway.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
