Orson Bean, R.I.P.

I was horrified to read that actor Orson Bean was killed after being hit by two cars trying to cross Venice Boulevard. He was clipped by the first and then killed by the second. What an awful way to die. Bean was 91.

Now one can make the case (as I did with Kirk Douglas less than 72 hours ago) that Bean lived a full,   rich life. But Douglas died of natural causes. Bean's life ended as abruptly as Kobe Bryant's life did nearly two weeks ago. Bean was an active 91-year old having just appeared in an episode of the Netflix series Grace & Frankie. He had also recently been in a play with his wife Alley Mills. This man was leading an active, healthy life. That is until yesterday.

Bean's TV and movie career spanned nearly 70 years. He was in everything from Westinghouse Studio One and Anatomy of a Murder to Being John Malkovich and Desperate Housewives. Bean was also a mainstay on TV game shows like To Tell The Truth, Match Game and Super Password. He also co-founded the 15th Street School here in New York City in the 1960's. Bean was also a frequent visitor on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson appearing more than 200 times including this appearance on December 31, 1975.

Yes, Orson Bean led a full, rich life. But he had more to give. R.I.P.