Deliverance star who played chilling villain killed in horror car crash
Deliverance movie star Herbert “Cowboy” Coward has died in a horror car crash.
The actor, who played the infamous Toothless Man in the popular film, passed away in a crash in North Carolina alongside his 78-year-old girlfriend Bertha Brooks. Officials said the actor's pet squirrel and Chihuahua also died in the collision.
Coward had reportedly attended a medical appointment in Haywood County on Wednesday and was exiting a car park when his silver Nissan was hit by another vehicle, the North Carolina Highway Patrol said. The two friends and two pets were trapped inside the car and were extracted by first responders, but were all pronounced dead at the scene, said the police.
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He was living in Haywood County, North Carolina (WLOS News 13/Youtube)The other driver involved in the crash was a 16-year-old who was taken to the hospital to get checked. Officials have not released further updates on their condition.
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According to ABC13 News, neither Coward nor Brooks were wearing seatbelts. The publication reported that officers said the teen driver was not speeding - and that no charges have been filed.
Deliverance was filmed mainly in Rabun County in northeastern Georgia, and one of the most famous lines from the movie was when Cowboy said: "He got a real purty mouth, ain't he?" Ahead of the 1972 classic's 50th anniversary in July 2022, Coward opened up about his acting career and personal life.
The actor led a quiet life after retirement surrounded by the love of his friends and pets (WLOS News 13/Youtube)He began his career at Ghost Town in the Sky, where he performed daily shoot-outs at the wild-west-themed amusement park, which he helped build. That was also the time he got his nickname 'Cowboy'. He explained: "I was working on pretty heavy equipment for $18 and $20, that’s big money for back then.
"I’d run them, and he’d say, ride ‘em, cowboy!" His career break came thanks to then-budding actor Burt Reynolds who told him to go for a Deliverance audition. Before Burt Reynolds died in 2018, Cowboy went to visit him, as he recalled: "Me and Burt talked about old times. He said he only had three friends in his whole acting career and I was one of them. I had a lot of memories with Burt."
After retiring from acting, Cowboy then had a knee replacement and was enjoying a quiet life with his friends and pets. Talking to his pet squirrel, he said: "Your daddy loves you; you know it? She minds good, she goes to church with me; I trim her toenails."
Looking back at his life, he said: "[I want people to remember] that I've been good to everybody." He added: "I enjoy life the best I can. The way I look at it, the Lord’s been good to me."
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