We lost one of my favorite actors over the weekend, the great Wilford Brimley passed away. He was 85.
Brimley had an incredible career, he started as a stuntman and worked his way up to starring in films like "Cocoon", "The Natural" and The Firm". And eventually became a great pitchman for Quaker Oats and a series of unforgettable diabetes spots that made him a social-media-sensation for a minute.
Brimley’s manager Lynda Bensky said the actor died Saturday morning in a Utah hospital. He was on dialysis and had several medical ailments, she said.
Here is the scene from "Cocoon"
In recent years, Brimley’s pitch work for Liberty Mutual had turned him into an internet sensation for his drawn-out pronunciation of diabetes as “diabeetus.” He owned the pronunciation.
Here is Brimley's original Diabetes commercial.
Brimley was just this lovable character that always made whatever TV show, movie or commercial you were watching pull you in - a trusted friend.
RIP sir, you will be missed.
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