1986 sequel Poltergeist 2’s villain, the terrifying Reverend Kane, is a favorite of horror fans, but actor Julian Beck barely made it through production alive. The first Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper and released in 1982, is a classic of the horror genre, managing to scare the hell out of audiences while only being rated PG. Granted, that was before the PG-13 rating existed. In 1986, Poltergeist’s Freeling Family - minus older daughter Dana, as actress Dominique Dunne had been tragically murdered in the intervening years - returned for another ghostly adventure in Poltergeist 2: The Other Side.
While few would consider it in the league of the Steven Spielberg-produced original, Poltergeist 2 has a sizable fanbase in its own right, a lot of that owing to the return of the likeable Freelings, and a lot of it due to the mesmerizing villain. Reverend Kane is actually the human form of the entity known as “The Beast” that menaced the Freelings in the first film and almost managed to permanently take Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) away from them.
Having The Beast take a human guise actually turned out to be a blessing, as actor Julian Beck succeeded in turning Reverend Kane into an almost hypnotic figure, capable of holding audiences in the palm of his hand with every word and facial expression. Sadly, in real life, Beck was himself on the brink of death, and barely finished Poltergeist 2’s production.
Poltergeist 2’s Reverend Kane Actor Was Dying of Stomach Cancer During Filming
Primarily a stage actor, Julian Beck had only appeared in a handful of films when he landed the role of Reverend Kane in Poltergeist 2: The Other Side. Beck’s gaunt appearance and sunken eyes added immensely to his portrayal of Kane, giving the Reverend the visage of a living skeleton. Famously, the first time young actress O’Rourke saw him on set, she reportedly started crying out of intense fear. The sad truth there is that Beck was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1983, and was still battling the illness when production began on Poltergeist 2. His skeletal appearance was due to the disease eating away at his body, which only continued to get worse during filming. Still, Beck was determined to finish what would become his final screen appearance.
Poltergeist 2’s Reverend Kane Actor Passed Away During Post-Production
On September 14, 1985, at the age of 60, Julian Beck passed away. At that point, Poltergeist 2 was still over eight months away from theatrical release, and still undergoing post-production work. Since Beck died before that could be completed, some of his lines in the film were re-recorded by a sound-alike voice actor. Somewhat annoyingly, Beck’s untimely death tends to be used as an example of the so-called “Poltergeist Curse,” since several cast and crew members involved with the franchise met early or tragic ends. In Beck’s case though, his demise was already sadly in motion before even signing on to play Reverend Kane. Tellingly, in 1988, Reverend Kane was recast for Poltergeist 3, and it in no way compared to Beck’s performance.
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