“The Young and the Restless” alum George Kennedy, who played Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) absentee father, Albert Miller, died on February 28. He was 91.
According to his grandson Cory Schenkel, Kennedy passed of old age in Boise, Idaho. He had undergone triple bypass surgery in 2002.
Kennedy initially appeared on “The Young and the Restless” in 2003 as the man who abandoned his sons Christian, who changed his name to Victor, and Matt (Robert Parucha). As a result, the boys’ mother believed the only way to survive was to leave one of her sons in an orphanage, and she chose to give up Victor. After years of Albert being missing, Victor and his son Nicholas (Joshua Morrow) tracked him down and flew to Canada to confront him. Kennedy reprised the role of Albert in 2010, when the character died.
“The Young and the Restless” wasn’t Kennedy’s only soap. He also had a memorable run on “Dallas” from 1988 to 1991, playing Ewing nemesis Carter McKay.
The actor also had an extensive film career. He was well known for his role as Captain Ed Hocken in “The Naked Gun” movies. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of Dragline, the chain-gang boss in a Southern prison, in 1967’s “Cool Hand Luke” opposite Paul Newman. His last film appearance was in 2014’s “The Gambler,” starring Mark Wahlberg and Jessica Lang.