Actor Lee Marvin Dies At 63
TUCSON, United States (WHN) – Lee Marvin, the Oscar-winning actor whose portrayals of tough, often violent characters defined a certain type of screen masculinity, died Saturday of a heart attack at the Tucson Medical Center. He was 63.
A hospital spokesman, Paul Lincicome, confirmed the death. Marvin had been hospitalized for more than three weeks, admitted on August 13 for what was described as a severe case of intestinal flu and dehydration.
Marvin’s death was officially reported at approximately 6:15 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
His wife, Pamela Feeley Marvin, was at his bedside, according to Meyer Mishkin, the actor’s agent for over two decades. Mishkin described the death as “very sudden,” noting that Marvin had appeared to be recovering.
Marvin’s career was marked by a series of iconic, hard-edged roles. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1966 for his surprising dual comedic performance in “Cat Ballou.” In the film, he played both the drunken gunfighter Kid Shelleen and his villainous twin brother, Tim Strawn, a role that showcased a versatility many had not seen.
The Oscar win stood in contrast to the menacing figures he was known for. He chilled audiences as the brutal titular villain in John Ford’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962). He led a team of military convicts on a suicide mission in “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) and played a relentless professional killer in “The Killers” (1964).
Before his film career, Marvin served with distinction. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, serving in the 4th Marine Division. During the Battle of Saipan in 1944, he was wounded by machine gun fire, an injury that severed his sciatic nerve and earned him the Purple Heart.
His military service informed many of his later performances. He brought a sense of authenticity to the soldiers he portrayed, a quality that resonated with directors and audiences alike.
“I don’t think I could have played a convincing Marine if I hadn’t been one,” Marvin once stated in an interview.
In the late 1970s, Marvin became a central figure in a legal battle that captured national attention and introduced the term “palimony” to the public lexicon. His former live-in companion, Michelle Triola, sued him for a share of his earnings after their relationship ended.
A California court in 1979 awarded Triola $104,000 for “rehabilitation purposes” but denied her claim to half his assets. The award was later overturned by an appeals court in 1981, which found no legal basis for the payment.
Lee Marvin was born in New York City on February 19, 1924. He was expelled from multiple schools before enlisting in the Marines at age 18.
Funeral services for the actor will be private, Mishkin confirmed. Plans are reportedly being discussed for Marvin’s burial at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, a reflection of his decorated military service.
