Bears was an actor after football.
Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus is best known for being a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker, but his many acting accomplishments also deserve a standing ovation.
Butkus, who died “peacefully in his sleep overnight” at the age of 80, played a nine-year career with the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1973 and appeared in dozens of films, television shows and commercials. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time Pro Bowler said football “was what I was supposed to do” and that his performance didn’t come easy.
“Football was never a job for me. If you love something, it’s not a job,” Butkus told Sports Illustrated in 2004. In a 1998 interview with the Chicago Tribune he said of his acting: People would say, ‘He’s just a football player,’ so I was harder on myself to get it right. ”
That didn’t deter Butkus, a longtime member of the Screen Actors Guild, from embarking on a second act.
From his iconic Miller Lite commercials to his recurring role on the NBC comedy “My Two Dads,” here’s everything you need to know about Butkus’ accomplishments as an actor.
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Dick Butkus movies
Dick Butkus made his acting debut in the 1971 film Brian Piccolo’s life and friendship with Chicago Bears teammate Gale Sayers. Piccolo was diagnosed with cancer while on the team. Butkus played uncredited roles in made-for-television productions.
He returned to the silver screen in the 1990s, playing several roles as himself. He appeared in “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” alongside former NFL standout Bubba Smith. The Hall of Famer also played himself in the 1991 crime drama “The Last Boy Scout” and his 2001 comedy “Teddy Bear’s Picnic.”
The linebacker starred alongside fellow NFL stars Earl Campbell, Jim Kelly, Jerry Rice, Tony Dorsett, Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Herschel Walker in the 1991 comedy “Necessary Roughness.” He appeared as a member of the prison team. He also played a coach in the 1999 drama “Any Given Sunday,” alongside Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz, and fellow Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Lawrence Taylor.
Dick Butkus on TV
Butkus has numerous small screen credits. He made his television debut in 1974, appearing in each episode of “Emergency!” And he plays a minor character in “Macmillan and Wife.” The following year, he started getting recurring roles, appearing in two episodes of “Police Story” and “Joe Forrester.”
The Chicago native received the most airtime playing high school basketball coach Mike Katwinski on the NBC sitcom “Hang Time.” He also had long-running roles on “My Two Dads,” “Half Nelson” and “Blue Thunder.”
He’s part of the “MacGyver” legacy. In 1990 and 1991, he appeared in three episodes of Season 6 and Season 7. He played Earl Dent, an ex-convict who tries to turn his life around and provide for his daughter through boxing.
Butkus also appeared on other hit shows such as “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Love Boat,” and “The Bernie Mac Show.”
dick butkus commercial
Butkus appeared with Smith in a series of Miller Lite ads in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Butkus said he gained a lot of insight into his acting from comedy ads.
“I learned from the Miller Lite commercials, ‘Who cares if my line breaks?’ It doesn’t matter if I do it in one take or 100 takes, as long as I can do it better every time.” he told the Chicago Tribune in 1998. He was able to work with Bubba (Smith) and add things with facial gestures and stuff… he was able to play him and add things. It didn’t matter if I got a laugh or not. ”
He is best known for using the catchphrase “Because it’s my job to plug holes” in a commercial for the antifreeze company Preston during the 1970 Super Bowl.
He also appeared in commercials for products ranging from the outdoor power equipment company’s Echo Tools to a quick-cook grill that uses “newspaper as fuel.”
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