Veteran Actor Orson Bean Struck, Killed In Venice At Age Of 91
VENICE (CBSLA) - Actor Orson Bean died Friday night after being struck by two cars while trying to cross a street in Venice, residents confirmed to CBSLA.
Bean, 91, was best known for being a panelist on various versions of "To Tell The Truth".
At about 7:35 p.m., Bean was trying to cross Venice Boulevard, between Shell Avenue and Pisani Place, when he was struck by a car traveling west, according to Los Angeles police. Bean was not at an intersection or a light, police said.
As people rushed to his aid, Bean was then hit by a second vehicle, according to police. He died at the scene.
"It's a jaywalking-type situation," LAPD Capt. Brian Wendling told reporters Friday. "We encourage everybody to please cross at crosswalks, be really mindful of traffic. This is a huge problem on the Westside of Los Angeles."
The drivers remained on scene and cooperated with investigators.
Witnesses told CBSLA Bean was crossing the street to see his third wife, actress Alley Mills, perform in a play at the Pacific Resident Theater. She also came out to the crash scene.
"To save a few seconds sometimes people cross mid-block, and it's just not worth it," Wendling added.
And as a small memorial starts to grow on the street where he died, those that knew him say even though he's gone, his work and passion for the arts will keep the public entertained for years to come.
Bean had more than 100 credits in movies, television shows and game shows over his 68-year acting career. Some of his credits include "Grace and Frankie," "Modern Family," "The Equalizer 2," "Being John Malkovich," "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and "How I Met Your Mother." He also made at least 91 appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."
In December, Bean and Mills stopped by the KCAL9 studio to talk about their play "Bad Habits," which concluded its run at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica in late January.
Here is the interview below:
