Spider-Man actor Jack Betts dies at 96, condolences pour in from fans

Hollywood veteran Jack Betts, best known for his role as Henry Balkan in Spider-Man and other roles such as Gods and Monsters, died in his sleep on June 19 at his home in Los Osos, California. He was 96. The news of his death was reportedly confirmed by his nephew Dean Sullivan. Soon after his passing, information about the iconic actor exploded online, with fans and peers from the industry paying their condolences.

Fans pay condolences to legendary actor Jack Betts

After Jack Betts' nephew confirmed the news, fans took to social media platforms to pay tribute to the actor. One user named Joe Wawrzyniak wrote, "Rest in peace, Jack Betts. Great character guy in tons of stuff. Very memorable as the asshole wolf guy who has a heart attack in Falling Down (1992)".

Another user wrote, "Lynn Hamilton, the theater-trained actress who portrayed the girlfriend of Redd Foxx’s character on Sanford and Son and the neighborly Miss Verdie on The Waltons, has died. She was 95. Jack Betts, Actor in Spaghetti Westerns and 'Spider-Man,' Dies at 96".

"@ThaaoPenghlis I was saddened to learn about the loss of your great friend Jack Betts this week. The two of you shared many adventures together, like the one in this photo. Thinking of you, and sending lots of healing hugs your way. God Bless you both, now and always", wrote the third user.

Jack Betts' rise to global stardom

A member of The Actors Studio, Betts portrayed Llanview Hospital doctor Ivan Kipling on ABC's One Life to Live from 1979-85. His soap opera resume also included stints on General Hospital, The Edge of Night, The Doctors, Another World, All My Children, Search for Tomorrow, Guiding Light, Loving, and Generations.

Betts bluffed his way into starring as the avenging title character in Franco Giraldi's Sugar Colt (1966), where he was billed as Hunt Powers for the first time. He made his big-screen debut in The Bloody Brood (1959), starring Peter Falk, then joined Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure in 1961 to play detective Chris Devlin on the second and last season of CBS' Checkmate, created by Eric Ambler.

His other notable works in films include Monk, The Red Maple Leaf, Silver Skies, About Last Night, Cold Case, Zoey 101, The Dessert Rose, Being Michael Madsen and It's a Wonderful Death among others.