RIP Harve Presnell

July 2nd, 2009 at 10:32am Will Pfeifer

Though he got his start in musicals such as THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN (on stage and screen) and PAINT YOUR WAGON (where he sang “They Call the Wind Maria), modern audiences probably know him best for a decidedly non-musical role: tough-as-nails father-in-law Wade Gustafson in FARGO.

That unforgettable performance (in a movie that’s full of them) gave Presnell a second career in all sorts of TV and movies, ranging from STAR TREK to MR. DEEDS to a great supporting role on the ill-fated Andy Richter sitcom, ANDY BARKER, P.I. (And though it’s not on his IMDB.com resume, I’m pretty sure he has a cameo as a wrestler in the movie Barton Fink watches in that Coen Brothers movie.)

Presnell died Tuesday at the age of 75 from pancreatic cancer. Here’s a clip from his performance in FARGO. (I apologize for the fact that it was obviously taped off someone’s TV, but it’s the best chunk of Harve in FARGO I could find.)

Entry Filed under: Deaths