Jack Betts, best known for his role in Spider-Man, has passed away. He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday at his home in Los Osos, California, according to his nephew, Dean Sullivan, who confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s unclear whether Betts had any underlying health issues at the time of his death. He was 96.
He was a versatile American actor whose career spanned more than 60 years across film, television, and stage. Born on April 11, 1929, in Jersey City, New Jersey, he moved to Miami at the age of 10 and discovered a passion for acting after seeing Wuthering Heights. He went on to study theater at the University of Miami and trained at the prestigious Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg.
Betts began his professional career on Broadway, appearing in Shakespeare’s Richard III in 1953. He later found success in European cinema during the 1960s and 1970s, starring in numerous spaghetti Westerns under the stage name Hunt Powers. Despite not knowing how to ride or shoot at first, he landed leading roles and became a familiar face in the genre.
Jack Betts shared a close, decades-long friendship with Everybody Loves Raymond star Doris Roberts. Per the Hollywood Reporter, the two first met in 1954 at The Actors Studio and remained inseparable for over 60 years. In 1988, Roberts invited Betts to move into the downstairs apartment of her Hollywood Hills home, a gesture that marked the start of their life as housemates and constant companions. From then on, Betts frequently accompanied her to Hollywood events and red carpet appearances. “We were best friends to the very end,” he once said, fondly recalling the many joyful memories they shared before her passing in April 2016.
Throughout his career, Betts appeared in a wide variety of television shows including Perry Mason, Bonanza, Frasier, Friends, Seinfeld, Monk, and The Mentalist. He also had a long-running role as Dr. Ivan Kipling on the soap opera One Life to Live. In film, he held supporting roles in major productions such as Batman Forever, Office Space, Gods and Monsters, and Spider-Man, where he played Henry Balkan.
