Many news sources say that Herbert “Cowboy” Coward, who played Toothless Man in the 1972 movie Deliverance, died in a car accident on Wednesday.
The 85-year-old man and his 78-year-old girlfriend Bertha Brooks were both killed in the crash in Haywood County, North Carolina, according to North Carolina State Highway Patrol officials and local news stations WLOS and FOX Carolina. His Chihuahua dog and pet squirrel also died in the crash.
People asked the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for a comment, but they didn’t answer right away.
Reports say that Coward was turning onto the highway when he was hit by a truck being driven by a 16-year-old. The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital.
WLOS reported that Coward and Brooks were not wearing seatbelts, and the police said they didn’t think the teen driver was going too fast. There were no charges.
Dorothy Coward, who was married to Coward for 51 years, died in September 2011. They had four kids together.
In his memorable role in Deliverance, he had a scary scene with his co-star Jon Voight. Along with Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, the movie stars John Boorman. In 1973, the movie was up for three Oscars, including Best Picture.
Reynolds, who died in 2018, told Conan O’Brien that he thought Coward would be a good fit for the part.
“What am I going to do to find these guys? The Mountain Men?’ John Boorman, an Irish director who was the best director I ever had, asked. I told them, “I know a guy.” I promise that if we can get him, we’ll have something really cool. He can’t read or write or anything. I told them, “Let me bring him in.” “His name is Cowboy, and you’ll decide if you like him.”
Reynolds says that he was given the part right away when Coward did his own take on one of the lines during the audition.
Reynolds said that while they were filming, he told Coward, “Cowboy, say whatever you want to say.” He said, “They’ll stop it if they don’t like it.” “He started making up jokes all over the place. They remembered everything he said because it was gold.
