An actor known for appearing in numerous westerns and the Oscar-winning film “No Country for Old Men,” Matthew Posey has passed away.
According to an announcement shared by Dallas-based Ochre House Theater, the non-profit theater company the actor co-founded in 2008, he passed away on October 2, “leaving behind a lifetime of memories and countless people.”
Posey was 68 years old.
A Legacy of Film, TV & Theater
In addition to “No Country for Old Men,” Posey also starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in AMC series “The Son,” was featured in the iconic TV miniseries “Lonesome Dove,” and guest-starred in Chuck Norris‘ “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
His other TV credits included “American Crime,” “Rectify,” “Dallas,” “In Plain Sight,” and the miniseries “Love & Death,” among many others.
On the big screen, Posey appeared in such films as “The Magnificent Seven,” “Necessary Roughness,” “Mr Brooks,” “Seeking Justice” and “Places in the Heart.”
He was most recently seen in the role of a bartender in “Brothers,” the recent Apple TV comedy starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
He Survived Being Shot in the Face
A native of Dallas, Texas, Posey graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from Texas Tech University.
He went on to complete a master’s in film at the American Film Institute, and worked in Los Angeles for 12 years before returning to Dallas as a company member at Undermain Theater, according to the late actor’s obituary.
In 2017, he made national headlines when he was shot in the face during an unprovoked attack at a Dallas bar. Miraculously, the injuries he sustained were not life-threatening; in fact, he was back onstage at for an Ochre House Theater production less than a month later.
“They said it’s pretty remarkable. One centimeter over and it would have been over, you know all over for me,” Posey said, recalling the incident in an interview with CBS News.
“He held my leg down and shot me in the leg and then just started trying to shoot me in the head,” added Posey. “He wasn’t trying to shoot other parts of my body.”
At the time, the shooter had not been apprehended, but Posey insisted the experience was not going to change the way he lived.
“This guy shot me in the face but he didn’t rob me of my life,” he said.
While they weren’t life-threatening, the injuries sustained in the attack were not insubstantial. Posey revealed that he required therapy and “at least two surgeries.” In addition to the 9mm bullet shattering his teeth, a bullet fragment was still lodged in his cheek when he returned to the stage.
“Well I’m not surprised because he’s a stubborn old goat with a lot of chutzpah,” said Carla Parker, a fellow actress at the theater company, adding, “It’s a miracle. He’s a walking miracle.”
Posey considered his return to the stage so soon after the attack to be an act of defiance to fear.
“It shows a spirit of not being defeated and not being a victim,” said Posey.
‘No Country for Old Men’ Star Has Passed Away at 68