Character actor Noah Beery Jr., who played sidekicks in movies and television for decades and then teamed up with James Garner in "The Rockford Files," died Tuesday at 81.
Beery was twice nominated for an Emmy for his role as "Rocky," the genial, folksy father of hard-luck private eye Jim Rockford.He was born into a family of great Hollywood character actors. He was the son of Noah Beery Sr., a popular screen villain during the silent era, and the nephew of Wallace Beery, who won the Academy Award for his role in 1931's "The Champ."
Noah Jr. made his screen debut as a child in the 1920 silent film "The Mark of Zorro," which starred his father and Douglas Fairbanks.
His film credits include the Billy Wilder film "The Spirit of St. Louis," and the 1960 courtroom drama "Inherit the Wind."