George Clooney has paid tribute to his Ocean’s Eleven co-star Scott L Schwartz.
Schwartz died of congestive heart failure at his home in Covington, Los Angeles, on 26 November. He was 65 years old.
Film fans will recognise Schwartz as Bruiser – the gentle giant of Stephen Soderbergh’s much-loved Ocean’s trilogy also starring Clooney and Brad Pitt.
Schwartz appeared in the first instalment, Ocean’s Eleven, of the action-comedy franchise in 2001. His character is recruited by Clooney’s Danny Ocean to pretend to beat him up during the group’s first heist.
The actor then appeared in the 2004 follow-up, Ocean’s Twelve, as a lawyer enlisted with getting Bernie Mac’s Frank Catton out of prison. In Thirteen, Schwartz played a high roller.
In the wake of his death, Clooney paid tribute to the actor and professional wrestler with a heartfelt statement.
“I’m sorry to hear that Scott is gone,” the actor, 63, wrote.. “We did three films together and I’ve never been so gently punched. He was a gentle soul and he will be dearly missed.”
A representative for Schwartz said: “Those who know Scott personally associated him with being a jolly person, so full of life, a strong loving person, foodie and travel aficionado.”
He “truly loved life and everyone that he met along the way”, the statement continued. “When he wasn’t acting, wrestling or telling jokes he spent his time visiting children with cancer at children’s hospital.”
Schwartz was one of only a handful of actors to feature in all three films of the trilogy alongside the main heist crew, including Clooney, and Andy Garcia who played casino owner and antagonist Terry Benedict.
Before making his move to Hollywood, the Philadelphia-born actor trained as a professional wrestler. Thanks to his wrestler’s build and athletic prowess, Schwartz made an impact whenever he was on screen. As well as the Ocean’s franchise, he also starred in The Scorpion King, Starsky and Hutch, and the spoof film Epic Movie.
On TV, he appeared in much-loved shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Star Trek: Enterprise.
Behind the scenes, he worked as a stuntman on the comedy-drama series Weeds and the film My Giant.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Schwartz’s wife, Misty, noted that he was most proud of his charity work – including the Glass Slipper Award he received for his work with the children’s healthcare foundation CHOC. Other recipients of the award include David Bekcham and Gwen Stefani.
Schwartz is survived by his wife, Misty, and his children, Angela and Adam.
