# Wilford Brimley dies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 2, 2020, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061 "2020-08-02T06:34:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/1 "2020-08-02T06:34:22Z")
But his moustache shall live forever. > **[Wilford Brimley, 'Cocoon' actor who appeared in Quaker Oats commercials, dies...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/02/entertainment/wilford-brimley-actor-dies/index.html)** > > Wilford Brimley, the mustachioed actor who appeared on the big screen, television shows and Quaker Oats commercials, has died. He was 85. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/2 "2020-08-02T06:38:10Z")
He was great in The Thing and Family Guy: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/t0H2fH3K044/hqdefault.jpg "Diabetes Family Guy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0H2fH3K044) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2yKARl52YKE/hqdefault.jpg "Wilford Brimley Kills a Band") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yKARl52YKE) ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/3 "2020-08-02T06:42:55Z")
Damn also forgot as the Postmaster General in Seinfeld. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/4 "2020-08-02T08:05:59Z")
you know its funny on tv he played the grouchy but eventually lovable grandpa types … in the movies mostly .he played evil murderous bastards see the movie version of “the firm” for one example Anyone else remember his Tetley tea commercials? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/5 "2020-08-02T08:53:18Z")
I remember him in a few flicks, one of which was _Brigham City_. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/6 "2020-08-02T11:16:19Z")
I liked the _Our House_ show he was on in the late '80s, and of course his diabeetus testing supplies advertisements. Here’s a short video of him selling diabetes testing supplies to the tune of “Rock Me Amadeus”: [Rock me Diabeetus - YouTube](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s4LyaNgzy6U) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/7 "2020-08-02T11:30:21Z")
No mention either way of COVID. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/8 "2020-08-02T11:37:47Z")
NYT says he’d been sick with a kidney ailment for two months [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/obituaries/wilford-brimley-dead.html?referringSource=articleShare](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/obituaries/wilford-brimley-dead.html?referringSource=articleShare) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/9 "2020-08-02T12:29:49Z")
One of those guys that was seemingly born 60 years old. I was certain he was going to live forever. RIP old man. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/10 "2020-08-02T12:33:56Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > One of those guys that was seemingly born 60 years old. No kidding. He was 50 when he did Cocoon? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/11 "2020-08-02T12:50:22Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > you know its funny on tv he played the grouchy but eventually lovable grandpa types … in the movies mostly .he played evil murderous bastards see the movie version of “the firm” for one example He was perfect in **Absence of Malice** , with movie star Paul Newman working the angles in between trying to talk some sense into one Oscar-caliber actress after another, and suddenly the story needs a guy who can _upon showing up_ hammer home to the audience that, no, see, everything up to now, that’s over and done with; all that’s left is for me to hash out who won and who lost. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/12 "2020-08-02T13:23:52Z")
Did he die from the effects of diabeetus? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/13 "2020-08-02T14:02:33Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Did he die from the effects of diabeetus Nope, a chunk of the Death Star II fell on him. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/14 "2020-08-02T14:27:08Z")
`[quote=“The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper, post:11, topic:917061”] He was perfect in **Absence of Malice** , with movie star Paul Newman working the angles in between trying to talk some sense into one Oscar-caliber actress after another, and suddenly the story needs a guy who can _upon showing up_ hammer home to the audience that, no, see, everything up to now, that’s over and done with; all that’s left is for me to hash out who won and who lost. [/quote] “…and the other is I’m gonna have somebody’s ass in my briefcase.” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/15 "2020-08-02T14:28:40Z")
Eat your oatmeal. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/16 "2020-08-02T14:43:35Z")
He just passed away at age 85, That means he was playing old men in his 40s. Pretty good gig if you can get it. Goodnight Wilfred, sleep tight. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/17 "2020-08-02T14:59:19Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > “…and the other is I’m gonna have somebody’s ass in my briefcase.” It really is a [great scene.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btqBJJF2yvE) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/18 "2020-08-02T15:07:04Z")
That role is always the first thing I remember about Wilfred Brimley. He was in a lot of movies but that role had real meat in it. It was a brief part of the movie but he still knocked it out of the park. And he was only about 45 when the movie was made, 10 years younger than Paul Newman, ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/19 "2020-08-02T18:27:23Z")
His appearance on Craig Ferguson is delightful. A man of few words but with a quiet humor and a knowing wink in each syllable: [Craig Ferguson 11/23/11E Late Late Show Wilford Brimley XD - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SCOaBXES7Y) ---
**Author:** ![Tierce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tierce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tierce)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061/20 "2020-08-02T18:34:07Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > you know its funny on tv he played the grouchy but eventually lovable grandpa types … in the movies mostly .he played evil murderous bastards see the movie version of “the firm” for one example Quite. I love the contrast between Quaker Oats “It’s the right thing to do and a tasty way to do it!” and The Firm “What do you think I am here, a fuckin’ night watchman?”… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilford-brimley-dies/917061.md?page=2)