Powers Boothe Bio, Cause of Death, Wife, Family, Wiki, Net Worth, Facts

Quick Facts

Powers Boothe will surely go down in history as one of the greatest villain actors the entertainment industry ever saw, something he was tremendously proud of, we can tell, after he once told the media that “villains last longer in people’s minds, and they’re more fun to play.” Boothe proved his versatility while dominating both in the small and big screens.

From 1980’s Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones to Sin City, Deadwood, 24, down to a recurring role in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2015/2016, Boothe remained an active actor throughout his lifetime.

Unfortunately, he was plucked off from the earth in 2017. With all that wealth of filmography, Boothe’s legacy will surely live on for years and years to come. Follow us as we take you on a journey of how he spent almost 7 decades.

Powers Boothe Bio/Wiki/Facts

He was born as Powers Allen Boothe on the 1st of June 1948 a cotton farm in Snyder, Texas as the youngest child of rancher Merrill Vestal Boothe and his wife Kathryn Emily (née Reeves) who shared three sons.

Boothe’s father named him after a friend of his whom he had lost during World War II. While attending Snyder High School, Powers played football and hoped to go professional, however, he changed his mind after it dawned on him that referees of the sports may not always be accurate or unbiased.

His next interest was acting. After high school graduation, Powers made history in his family by becoming the first one to attend college. He chose the Southwest Texas State University where he began exploring his interests in acting.

Powers didn’t stop at just a college degree. He eventually enrolled at Southern Methodist University via fellowship, earning a masters degree. Only after graduating did Powers begin to see a career in acting. “Before that, I never thought about it,” he told in 2012. “To me, going to L.A. or New York was like going to the moon!”

And, to the moon, Powers did go in 1970 after joining the repertory company of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Some of his theater appearances included; Henry IV,  Troilus and Cressida, and Richard III. By the later 1970s, Boothe made his Broadway debut in Lone Star & Pvt. Wars.

Boothe then transitioned to TV and didn’t take long to make his mark. His portrayal of Jim Jones in the TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Boothe had received the award himself after he took the bold decision of attending the event that was boycotted by many due to the Screen Actors Guild strike.

“This is either the most courageous moment of my careers or the stupidest,” in his acceptance speech. Well, look back, that moment can be said to have been more courageous than stupid.

From then onwards, Boothe’s career was on a flyer. He even went on to receive 2 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, first for his role as General Alexander Haig in Nixon (1995) which was perhaps one of his nuanced villain roles, and second for his role as Cy Tolliver, a brothel operator in the TV series Deadwood.

Boothe’s other notable credits are Sudden Death where he played a terrorist, Extreme Prejudice as a drug trafficker, Curly Bill Brocius in Tombstone, corrupt Senator Roark in Sin City (2005) and its 2014 sequel.

A decade before his passing Boothe was more active on the small screen having recurring roles in 24, Nashville and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Powers lent his gravelly voice to a number of animated characters in film TV and video games.

He was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in 2009, alongside actor and singer Billy Bob Thornton.

Cause of Death

According to his publicist, Powers Boothe died of natural causes. He died in his sleep in the morning of May 14, 2017. At the time of his death, Powers was battling pancreatic cancer.

Following the news of his passing, friends and colleagues took to social media to send their condolences with friend, actor Beau Bridges leading the way. He wrote; “It’s with great sadness that I mourn the passing of my friend Powers Boothe. A dear friend, great actor, devoted father & husband.”

Others included his Red Dawn co-star Lea Thompson who wrote; “I loved acting with you #PowersBoothe you were a gentlemen and a great actor.”

Net Worth: $8 million

At the time of his death, Powers’ wealth was estimated at the tune of $8 million.

Wife, Family

Powers Boothe’s success professionally matched his personal life which was free of dramas, tax issues and most importantly divorce troubles. He married his college sweetheart Pam Cole in 1969 and remained married to her upon his death, a rarity in Hollywood. The couple had two children, a son named Preston and a daughter, Parisse.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.