Former professional wrestler and Hollywood actor Scott L. Schwartz passed away at the age of 65 from heart failure in Covington. George Clooney paid tribute to Scott, with whom he worked on three films: Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007). Scott played a strongman who helped Clooney’s character and his gang of thieves.
According to 63-year-old Clooney, despite Schwartz’s intimidating appearance, impressive muscles, and towering height of 208 cm, he was a gentle and kind-hearted person in real life. “I’m so sorry to hear that Scott is gone. We made three films together, and I’ve never been treated so gently. He was a kind man, and we’re going to miss him dearly,” Clooney said.
Schwartz’s representative released an official statement about him. “Those who knew Scott personally described him as a fun-loving, strong, caring, adventurous person who had a passion for life and the people he met. When he wasn’t acting, wrestling, or joking around, he spent time visiting children with cancer in hospitals,” the statement said.
Scott is survived by his wife Misty and children Angela and Adam. Actor Rick Zan also honored him, calling Scott a great person and dear friend. “For the past couple of years, Scott battled illness, but with Misty by his side, he faced it all with peace. His suffering has ended. From the ages of 6 to 10, Scott was one of the few people I looked up to. But it wasn’t just because he was taller. It was because of his heart. He lived passionately, and he loved his family,” Rick remarked.
Scott L. Schwartz was born on March 19, 1959. He attended Temple University and began his career in professional wrestling before retiring from the sport in 2006. “I finally hung up my boots after 20 years. It wasn’t an easy decision, and to avoid returning to the ring, I sold most of my things. I kept one costume just in case—I still get roles as a wrestler, and I wear it in films. But when the shoot’s over, I sometimes want to return to the ring,” Schwartz said.
Throughout his acting and stunt career, Schwartz appeared in more than 100 films, including Meet Wally Sparks (1997), The Scorpion King (2002), Starsky & Hutch (2002), Spider-Man (2002), and Pizzeria (2021). He also worked on the 2009 family comedy Lost in the Woods starring Michael Madsen and directed and wrote the 2010 action film Hand Switch.
As Schwartz said in a 2008 interview, “Many people work in TV or film or do something else and never get the chance to meet the people who have seen their work and enjoyed it. It’s really cool to sit down and hear what people liked about certain scenes or what they liked about the whole thing. It’s great both ways because meeting fans is awesome.”
