Dr John Dundee Payne was a renowned psychiatrist and the father of J.D. Payne, the co-showrunner of the Amazon Prime Video series The Rings of Power. He passed away peacefully on November 6, 2021, at the age of 75. His death was due to natural causes, according to his obituary. In this article, we will explore his life, career, family, and legacy, as well as the touching tribute that The Rings of Power paid to him in its season finale.
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Dr John Dundee Payne’s Life and Career
Dr John Dundee Payne was born on January 16, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the Windy City and developed a passion for psychiatry after attending Northwestern Medical School. While studying there, he met and married his soulmate, Dr Lillian Marlene Jones, with whom he would start a family and have three children: Jennifer, J.D., and Heather.
During the Vietnam War, Dr Payne moved to Washington DC, where he served at St. Elizabeth’s mental hospital. He later completed his residency in psychiatry at Georgetown University Hospital. After finishing his training, he opened a private psychiatric practice where he helped treat patients for over four decades. He was known for his compassion, wisdom, and professionalism.
Dr Payne was also an avid reader and a fan of fantasy literature. He introduced his son J.D. to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, which sparked his interest in writing and storytelling. J.D. would go on to become a successful screenwriter and producer, working on projects such as Star Trek Beyond, Godzilla vs. Kong, and The Rings of Power.
Dr John Dundee Payne’s Family and Legacy
Dr John Dundee Payne was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He is survived by his wife Lillian, his children Jennifer, J.D., and Heather, his son-in-law Patrick McKay (who is also the co-showrunner of The Rings of Power), his daughter-in-law Sarah Payne, and his grandchildren Jack, Lucy, Henry, and Alice.
Dr Payne’s legacy lives on through his family and his contributions to the field of psychiatry. He also inspired his son J.D. to pursue his creative dreams and to share his vision of Middle-earth with the world.
Dr John Dundee Payne’s Tribute in The Rings of Power
The Rings of Power is a highly anticipated series that explores the origins of the One Ring and the rise and fall of the Second Age of Middle-earth. It is based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and is produced by Amazon Studios in collaboration with the Tolkien Estate and Trust.
The series is co-created and co-showrun by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, who are also executive producers and writers for several episodes. The first season of the series premiered on September 2, 2022, and consisted of eight episodes.
The final episode of the season revealed many secrets and mysteries that were teased throughout the season, as well as setting up some dangers for season 2. But before ending with a cliffhanger, the episode paused to pay tribute to Dr John Dundee Payne with a heartfelt title card.
The title card read: “Dedicated to Dr John Dundee Payne 1946 – 2021. Now in the far green country, under a swift sunrise.” The last sentence is a quote from The Lord of the Rings books that describes Frodo’s vision of Valinor as he sails to the Undying Lands.
The tribute was a touching gesture that honored Dr Payne’s memory and his influence on his son’s career. It also showed how much The Rings of Power team values family and friendship.
Dr John Dundee Payne was a remarkable man who left a lasting impact on many people. He will be dearly missed by his loved ones and fans alike. May he rest in peace in the far green country under a swift sunrise.
Sources: Latest in Bollywood, HITC, HIS
Dub Taylor Cause of Death: How the Legendary Character Actor Passed Away
Dub Taylor was a prolific and versatile American character actor who appeared in hundreds of films and television shows, mostly in Westerns and comedies. He was known for his distinctive grizzled appearance, his trademark bowler hat, and his roles as comical sidekicks or eccentric outlaws. He was also the father of actor Buck Taylor, who starred in the long-running series Gunsmoke.
Dub Taylor’s career spanned nearly six decades, from the 1930s to the 1990s. He worked with some of the most acclaimed directors and actors in Hollywood, such as Frank Capra, Sam Peckinpah, Michael Cimino, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Clint Eastwood, and Warren Beatty. He also appeared in some of the most iconic films of American cinema, such as You Can’t Take It with You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Bonnie and Clyde, The Wild Bunch, The Getaway, and Back to the Future Part III.
But how did Dub Taylor die? What was his cause of death? And what legacy did he leave behind? In this article, we will explore these questions and pay tribute to one of the most beloved and recognizable character actors in film history.
Dub Taylor’s Early Life and Career
Dub Taylor was born Walter Clarence Taylor Jr. on February 26, 1907, in Richmond, Virginia. He was the middle child of five children of Minnie and Walter C. Taylor Sr. His family moved to Augusta, Georgia, when he was five years old, where his father worked as a cotton broker.
Dub Taylor got his nickname from his friends in Georgia, who called him “W” for Walter and then shortened it to “Dub”. He developed an interest in music and entertainment at an early age and learned to play the harmonica and the xylophone. He also played football for the Alabama Crimson Tide Football Team in 1937.
Dub Taylor began his acting career with Vaudeville, performing in various shows across the country. His musical talent landed him his first film role in 1938, when he was cast as Ed Carmichael, a cheerful ex-football captain who played the xylophone, in Frank Capra’s classic comedy You Can’t Take It with You. The film won two Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
The following year, Dub Taylor appeared in another Capra film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring James Stewart as an idealistic senator who fights against corruption. Dub Taylor had a minor role as a reporter who covers the senator’s filibuster.
Also in 1939, Dub Taylor originated the character of Cannonball, a comic sidekick to cowboy heroes, in the Western film Taming of the West. He reprised this role for the next 10 years in over 50 films, mostly low-budget B-movies. He played Cannonball alongside various Western stars, such as Wild Bill Elliott, Charles Starrett, Russell Hayden, Tex Ritter, and Jimmy Wakely.
Dub Taylor’s Later Roles and Collaborations
Dub Taylor eventually dropped the Cannonball name and branched out to other genres and roles. He had bit parts in many classic films of different genres, such as A Star Is Born (1954), Them! (1954), No Time for Sergeants (1958), The Misfits (1961), How the West Was Won (1962), Major Dundee (1965), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), The Happening (1967), Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969), The Undefeated (1969), The Reivers (1969), WUSA (1970), Maverick (1994), and many more.
One of his most memorable roles was Ivan Moss, the father of C.W. Moss (played by Michael J. Pollard), in Arthur Penn’s groundbreaking crime film Bonnie and Clyde (1967). The film starred Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the notorious bank robbers of the 1930s. Dub Taylor had a memorable scene where he confronted his son for joining the gang and expressed his disappointment and anger.
Dub Taylor also became a frequent collaborator of director Sam Peckinpah, who was known for his violent and revisionist Westerns. He appeared in four of Peckinpah’s films: Major Dundee (1965), The Wild Bunch (1969), Junior Bonner (1972), and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973). In The Wild Bunch, he played a minister who gets his flock shot in the film’s opening scene. In Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, he played Josh Brown, an old friend of Billy’s who joins him in his final days.
Another director that Dub Taylor worked with several times was Michael Cimino, who made his debut with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), starring Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges as a pair of bank robbers. Dub Taylor played a gas station attendant who gets involved in their heist. He also appeared in Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate (1980), a notorious Western epic that was a critical and commercial failure, and The Sunchaser (1996), Cimino’s last film.
Dub Taylor also had a prolific career on television, appearing in dozens of shows, such as The Andy Griffith Show, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Monkees, The Wild Wild West, The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie, CHiPs, The Dukes of Hazzard, and many more. He also starred in his own short-lived sitcom, The Dub Taylor Show, in 1961.
Dub Taylor’s Personal Life and Death
Dub Taylor was married to Florence Gertrude Heffernan from 1930 until her death in 1987. They had two children: Buck Taylor and Faydean Taylor Tharp. Buck Taylor followed his father’s footsteps and became an actor, best known for his role as Newly O’Brien on Gunsmoke. He also appeared in several films with his father, such as Major Dundee, The Wild Bunch, and Bonnie and Clyde. Faydean Taylor Tharp became a teacher and a writer.
Dub Taylor lived in Woodland Hills, California, where he died of a heart attack on October 3, 1994. He was 87 years old. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered around Westlake Village, California.
Dub Taylor left behind a legacy of hundreds of films and television shows that showcased his talent, versatility, and charisma. He was one of the most recognizable and beloved character actors in Hollywood history. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.
According to IMDb, Dub Taylor’s last film role was in Maverick (1994), where he played a poker player who gets shot by Jodie Foster’s character. His last television role was in Walker, Texas Ranger (1994), where he played an old man who helps Chuck Norris’ character catch a criminal.
Dub Taylor was a true legend of the silver screen and the small screen. He entertained generations of audiences with his humor, charm, and personality. He will always be remembered as one of the greats of American cinema.
