‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Halloween’ franchise actor, Beau Starr, dies at 81

Beau Starr, the American actor best known for playing Sheriff Ben Meeker in “Halloween 4” and “Halloween 5,” has died, according to TMZ. He was 81 years old.

TMZ confirmed the death via Beau’s younger brother, Mike, who said the actor died of natural causes at his Vancouver home. Mike described his brother as “very unique and special.”

Starr appeared in 1988’s “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” as Sheriff Ben Meeker, and he reprised the role a year later in “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.” He also had a supporting role in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 mob classic “Goodfellas” as the abusive father of Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill. His other film credits include “Fletch,” “Speed,” “Cinderella Man,” “Devil in a Blue Dress” and “Born on the Fourth of July.”

Beau got his start playing various characters on the Canadian sketch show “Bizarre.” He went on to have small roles in other popular series like “Psych,” “Knight Rider,” “The A-Team,” “MacGyver,” “TJ Hooker,” “Three’s Company,” “Remington Steele,” “The Fall Guy,” “Night Court,” “Matlock,” “Moonlighting,” “Murder She Wrote” and “NYPD Blue.”

Beau’s most significant TV role was on the BBC comedy series “Due South,” which was an odd-couple cop show about a Canadian Mountie who teams up with the Chicago police force. The show ran for four seasons from 1994 to 1999. Beau starred in every episode but one as Lieutenant Harding Welsh. Beau also had a starring role on NBC’s crime drama “True Blue,” which ran for one 12-episode season in 1989. On that show, he played another law enforcement officer, Lieutenant Bill Triplett.

- Variety