If you were a child of the 80s, you probably remember Webster, the show about the cute little black kid that was 40, but looked 8? It starred Emmanuel Lewis as the kid, and the man that played his father was Alex Karras. After a nearly two year bout with kidney disease, heart disease, stomach cancer, and dementia, he has passed away at the age of 77.
Karras was star football player for the University of Iowa and was signed to the Detroit Lions in 1958. He played with the Lions throughout the 60s until he retired in 1970. After professional football, he turned his attention to acting. He landed a tole in Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles, which was an underground hit. He followed up that performance as a gay bodyguard in Victor Victoria. But it was his role as the father of the titular Webster that endeared him to millions of fans worldwide. The show made him a household name and it is still played in syndication around the world. Our condolences go out to his family at this time.
