Richard Widmark, who debuted in Kiss of Death died at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, after a long illness. He was 93 and is survived by his wife, Susan Blanchard, and his daughter, Anne Heath Widmark, who was married to baseball player Sandy Koufax. Widmark would win an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in Kiss of Death as Tommy Udo, who enjoyed pushing old ladies down the stairs.
But in real life, Widmark who made over 75 films, was a great guy. Widmark was embarrassed to play the racist character in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s No Way Out and would apologize to Sidney Poitier, with whom he became friends, after shooting scenes. The film was critical of of racism.
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