Iconic Actor Dies After Complications From Back Surgery

Veteran American character actor Matt Clark, remembered by many fans as the Old West bartender Chester in Back to the Future Part III, has died at 89 after a career that stretched across more than five decades in Hollywood.

Clark appeared in more than 100 films and television productions, becoming a familiar face in Westerns and classic Hollywood character roles. Though he was rarely cast as the leading man, he built a reputation for bringing authenticity and weight to supporting parts.

Many moviegoers remember Clark for his brief but memorable role in Back to the Future Part III, the Western-themed finale of the time-travel trilogy starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.

In the 1990 film, Clark played Chester, the bartender serving drinks in the dusty 1885 Hill Valley saloon. The role was small but helped place him inside one of the most recognizable franchises in pop culture.

By the time he appeared in the film, Clark had already spent decades building a long résumé in Hollywood.

Born Nov. 25, 1936, in Washington, D.C., Clark began acting in theater before moving into television and film in the 1960s.

He frequently appeared in Westerns, including roles alongside Robert Redford in Jeremiah Johnson and Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter.

His other credits included Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and The Outlaw Josey Wales, helping cement his reputation as one of Hollywood’s dependable Western character actors.

Clark’s family revealed the actor died in his Austin, Texas home following complications from a back surgery on Sunday.

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