American actor David Huddleston, who played The Big Lebowski in the film of the same name, has died in Santa Fe, a newspaper reported Thursday. He was 85. Huddleston died on Tuesday of heart and kidney disease, his wife, Sarah Koeppe, told the Los Angeles Times.
A big man known for his tough guy characters, Huddleston's most famous role came late in life when he played opposite Jeff Bridges in the cult hit Coen brothers film "The Big Lebowski," which came out in 1998. Portraying a millionaire, he had only a few but pivotal scenes as thugs confused the wealthy Lebowski with Bridges' character "the Dude."