Geoffrey Lewis, Veteran Western Actor, Dead at 79

The father of actress Juliette Lewis appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in “High Plains Drifter,” “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” and “Every Which Way But Loose”

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Western character actor Geoffrey Lewis died on Tuesday of natural causes in Woodland Hills, California, according to multiple media reports. He was 79.

The father of actress Juliette Lewis, he had appeared alongside Clint Eastwood is numerous classics including “High Plains Drifter,” “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,” “Every Which Way But Loose,” “Any Which Way You Can” and “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

Lewis received a Golden Globe nomination for the 1980 series “Flo” and he appeared on dozens of other TV programs including “Barnaby Jones,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Lou Grant,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “Falcon Crest” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

The rough-hewn actor was born in San Diego, grew up in Rhode Island and then returned to California at age 10, when he began acting in school productions.

He is survived by his wife Paula Hochhalter and his 10 children, among them “Natural Born Killers” actress Juliette, who posted thoughts on her loss early Wednesday morning on Twitter and Instagram.

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