John Beasley Dies: ‘Everwood’ and ‘The Soul Man’ Actor Was 79

Martin Holmes May 31, 2023, 7:34 am

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John Beasley in Firestarter — Ken Woroner / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

John Beasley, best known for playing Irv Harper in the hit television series Everwood, has died. He was 79.

Beasley’s passing was confirmed by his son Mike in a Facebook post, where he wrote, “Man…you know this is a part of life…but that doesn’t make it any easier. I lost my best friend today. They say you shouldn’t ever meet your heroes because they don’t turn out to be who you thought they were. That is so wrong. My hero was my father. Thank you for everything. I hope I made you proud. Love you more.”

Born on June 26, 1943, in Omaha, Nebraska, Beasley didn’t begin his acting career until in his mid-forties, having previously worked as a railroad man with the Union Pacific Railroad. One of his first acting credits came in the ABC drama Brewster Place, where he played Mr. Willie in several episodes.

He would go on to appear in films like V.I. Warshawski (1991), The Mighty Ducks (1992), Rudy (1993), Untamed Heart (1993), and Little Big League (1994) and continued his TV work on shows such as Laurel Avenue, Early Edition, and Millennium.

His first major TV role came in Everwood, the Greg Berlanti drama about a Manhattan neurosurgeon who moves his family to the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, after the death of his wife. Beasley played school bus driver Irv Harper throughout the show’s four-season run.

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Beasley would continue to appear in small TV roles throughout the 2000s before landing a major part in the TV Land sitcom The Soul Man, where he played the character Barton Ballentine. His most recent credits came in The Mandalorian and Your Honor.

His other film credits include The General’s Daughter (1999), The Sum of All Fears (2002), the 2004 remake of Walking Tall, and Firestarter (2022).

He is survived by his son Mike; his wife of 58 years, Judy; daughter-in-law Katie; and grandchildren Evan, Miles, Olivia, Mika, Darius, and Malik Beasley, who plays in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers.