Bennett Raglin/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Veteran character actor David Huddleston, who may be best known for the title role in the film The Big Lebowski, died Tuesday. He was 85.
His wife, Sarah Koeppe [KEP-ee], confirmed to ABC Radio that he died of advanced heart and kidney disease in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Huddleston also played St. Nick in Dudley Moore’s Santa Claus: The Movie, and the mayor in the classic Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles. His TV work included guest-starring roles on shows like Walker, Texas Ranger, Murder, She Wrote, Gilmore Girls and The West Wing.
Huddleston also had a recurring role as the grandfather on The Wonder Years, for which he was nominated for an Emmy.
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