Bert Remsen

American character actor who became a casting director following an accident, then returned to acting years later. The son of a New York policeman, Remsen lived a colorful life before turning to acting. He made his film debut in 1959 and was busy before the cameras in both film and television. Five years later, however, a collapsing crane on the set of the TV series No Time for Sergeants (1964) broke his back and nearly killed him. He recuperated for months and was able to walk again with crutches, but he believed his acting career was ended. He became a casting director, eventually heading the casting department of Lorimar Productions. While casting the film Brewster McCloud (1970), he was given a role by director Robert Altman. Though he continued to work in casting with his wife and partner Barbara Dodd, he resumed his acting career, working in scores of films and television episodes, most of the time requiring only a cane to walk. He appeared in many of Altman's films and was a popular figure in the film industry for his generosity and his vivid story-telling. He died in his sleep at age 74 in 1999.