Wilford Brimley | True Grit

Wilford Brimley worked multiple jobs and was good at all of them. He labored as a ranch hand, blacksmith, wrangler, and even as a bodyguard for business magnate Howard Hughes. His first exposure to Hollywood was shoeing horses for stables for TV and movie Westerns. Due to his skills as a real-life cowboy, he started working as a riding extra for Western films until he met actor Robert Duvall, who convinced him to pursue a career in the acting industry. Brimley eventually landed non-speaking roles and stunt work which eventually budded into a respectable career in the industry.

Slowly but surely, he was cast in an uncredited role in 1969’s True Grit,  portrayed as Horace on the CBS classic The Waltons, and appeared as a character actor in several films. He was also given credit as a brand spokesman for Quaker Oats, a gig that has kept him in the public eye for decades.