A familiar face from one of Hollywood’s most beloved film franchises has died, closing the curtain on a decades-long career that stretched across classic Westerns, comedies, and television.
According to Page Six, Matt Clark, best known to many fans for his role in Back to the Future Part III, passed away Sunday at his home in Austin. He was 89.
His family told TMZ that complications following back surgery led to his death.
Clark appeared as Chester the bartender in the third installment of the iconic trilogy, sharing the screen with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.
In the film, Fox’s time-traveling character Marty McFly encounters Clark’s character during a journey to the Old West in 1885, as he attempts to save Doc Brown.
While that role introduced him to a new generation of viewers, Clark’s career spanned far beyond a single film.
He also appeared in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension and The Outlaw Josey Wales, starring alongside Clint Eastwood.
His film credits continued with roles in Jeremiah Johnson, Brubaker, and A Million Ways to Die in the West, where he played an Old Prospector in the ensemble cast led by Seth MacFarlane.
Clark also made appearances on television, including roles in The Jeff Foxworthy Show and Little House on the Prairie, adding to a long list of on-screen performances.
Beyond acting, he stepped behind the camera as well, directing the 1988 drama “Da” and working on episodes of the series “Midnight Caller.”
According to his family, Clark valued collaboration with people who shared strong family ties and had little interest in the fame that often accompanies the entertainment industry.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Mays, whom he married in 2000, and his daughter, Amiee Clark.
Clark was previously married to Erica Lann from 1958 to 1966 and to Carol Trieste in 1968.
