Veteran actor Orson Bean, also known as the father-in-law to conservative journalist and commentator Andrew Breitbart, has been killed by a vehicle in Los Angeles.
Bean, who starred in the game show “To Tell the Truth” and Western drama “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” was 91 years when he was struck on Friday night, the Associated Press reports.
Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Brian Wendling confirmed to local stations that a pedestrian (who they did not initially identify as Bean) was walking in a Venice neighborhood when he was “clipped by a vehicle and fell,” the AP reports.
The police department said a second driver then struck the body, which likely resulted in his death. Eyewitnesses confirmed the series of events and identified Bean as the victim.
“Both drivers remained on the scene,” the Associated Press reports.
The report adds:
Born in Burlington, Vermont, in 1928 as Dallas Frederick Burrows, he never lost the Yankee accent that proved a perfect complement to the dry, laconic storytelling that established him as popular humorist. He had picked the stage name Orson Bean “because it sounded funny.”
He appeared in a number of films — notably, “Anatomy of a Murder” and “Being John Malkovich” — and starred in several top Broadway productions, receiving a Tony nod for the 1962 Comden-Green musical “Subways Are for Sleeping.” But fans remembered him most for his many TV appearances from the 1950s onward.
Bean’s quick wit and warm personality made him a favorite panelist for six years on “To Tell the Truth.” The game required the panelists to quiz three contestants to figure out which one was a real notable and which two were impostors. The dramatic outcome inspired a national catchphrase as the host turned to the three and said: “Will the real (notable’s name) please stand up?”
And:
Meanwhile, his politics turned more conservative. He became related to a leading right-wing commentator, Andrew Breitbart, when his daughter, Susannah, married him. Breitbart died in 2012 and Steve Bannon, later a top adviser to Donald Trump, took over Breitbart’s eponymous website, for which Bean had penned occasional columns.
Several people online quickly expressed their condolences:
A wonderful man. As he was Andrew Breitbart’s father-in-law, I had the honor of getting to know him a bit. Prayers to his family & all who loved him 🙏🏻 https://t.co/F6gyRwJvCu
— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) February 8, 2020
Just reading that Andrew Breitbart‘s father-in-law, actor Orson Bean Was hit by a car and killed in Los Angeles.
He was a Christian. Prayers for his daughter Susie, his wife and their family.
Very sad. pic.twitter.com/asFs2ZEAUl
— 𝙻𝚎𝚎 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚑𝚊𝚗 ⏳ (@stranahan) February 8, 2020
Awful.
Andrew Breitbart’s father-in-law.
God Bless his Soul and give his Loved Ones Strength. https://t.co/eHgwS1aV4k
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) February 8, 2020
So sad. Orson Bean was Andrew Breitbart's father-in-law before he died (too soon). I feel for Susie. if you've survived into your 90s, you deserve to pass away peacefully. (In fact, everyone does.) https://t.co/bW724kmrXR
— David Martosko (@dmartosko) February 8, 2020
How awful. Damn. RIP.https://t.co/EfpqabBGET
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) February 8, 2020
Known to younger crowd as Andrew Breitbart's father-in-law, actor Orson Bean killed by car, walking in Venice, CA. Prayers to the family. https://t.co/nAdhO9QdJu
— Jana Shellman💕 (@wishladya) February 8, 2020
LAT: Actor Orson Bean, the local theater mainstay who rose to fame as a 1950s TV personality, dies https://t.co/BwSeQ7sJQF
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 8, 2020
Andrew Breitbart’s father-in-law…#RIP https://t.co/j4G5KRFfVr
— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) February 8, 2020
