'Blues Brothers' star Charles Napier dies at 75

Character actor Charles Napier died Wednesday at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, his longtime friend Dennis Wilson told The Bakersfield Californian. He was 75.

Known for his roles in "The Blues Brothers," "Rambo: First Blood Part II," "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia," Napier's resume boasts nearly 200 film and television credits.

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"I always felt I played myself or some kind of version of myself," Napier toldThe Bakersfield Californian earlier this year. "If you think about it, old actors probably don't even have a self."

Napier collapsed in his Bakersfield, Calif., home Monday night and was found on Tuesday. He was placed on life support in the intensive care unit Wednesday afternoon; he was surrounded by his family when it was turned off.

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A cause of death has not been revealed, though Napier was treated for blood clots in his legs in May 2010.PHOTOS: Celebs gone too soon

Born in Mt. Union, Kentucky, on April 12, 1936, Napier played basketball in high school before enlisting in the army in 1954. He later graduated from Western Kentucky University and worked various jobs before enrolling in graduate school. It was there that Napier developed an interest in acting, which inspired him to move to L.A.

Napier soon appeared on a handful of television in programs including "Hogan's Heroes," "The A-Team," "Kojak" and "Murder, She Wrote." He also starred in movies such as "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" and "The Manchurian Candidate."

The twice-divorced star is survived by three children: Whit, Hunter and Meghan.

Copyright 2011 Us Weekly

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44809807/ns/today-entertainment/

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