Boxer and occasional actor George Foreman, 76, died on March 21. Foreman was a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. He had a long, impressive career beating the crap out of people. After becoming “born again,” Foreman became an ordained minister; he also shilled the George Foreman Grill endlessly but amusingly on TV (he had a cute, mischievous grin). As an actor . . . well, he was charming and unaffected, but acting was not his forte. Foreman starred in the short-lived sitcom George (“And you better be watching, or I'll beat you up and eat all of your food”), and appeared on Sanford & Son, Home Improvement, The Larry Sanders Show, King of the Hill, and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. He was also the subject of the 2023 movie Big George Foreman. He reminisced that “The day after I lost to Muhammad Ali, people came by and put a hand on my shoulder and said, ‘It's okay, George. You'll have another chance.’ That was pity. From being feared to being pitied. Brother, that's a long fall.” Foreman is survived by his fifth wife, and 11 children, including five sons named George.
