Actor Geoffrey Lewis, dad of actress Juliette Lewis, dies at 79

LOS ANGELES — Actor Geoffrey Lewis, who appeared in several Clint Eastwood movies and made guest appearances on dozens of TV shows in the ’60s through ’80s, died Tuesday in Woodland Hills, Calif. of natural causes, according to a family friend. He was 79. The character actor, who often appeared in Westerns, was the father of actress Juliette Lewis.

He had roles in Eastwood’s “High Plains Drifter,” “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,” as Orville Boggs in “Every Which Way But Loose” and “Any Which Way You Can” as well as in “Bronco Billy,” “Pink Cadillac” and “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

Among his other film credits were “The Devil’s Rejects,” Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate,” John Milius’ “Dillinger,” TV movie “Salem’s Lot” and Michael Ritchie’s “Smile.”

Lewis received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance on the 1980 series “Flo,” and appeared in numerous other shows including “Barnaby Jones,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Lou Grant,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “Falcon Crest” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

Born in San Diego, he grew up in Rhode Island and moved to California at age 10. He is survived by his wife Paula Hochhalter, Juliette Lewis and nine other children including Lightfield and Matthew, both actors, and Dierdre, an actress.