It’s just sad, but we have lost a very important man in the film and television business. Jack Betts, a/k/a Hunt Powers, passed away on June 19th, 2025, at home in Los Osos, California at 96. Maybe you remember him from spaghetti westerns in the 60s, or if you are a Spider-Man fan, that little part as Henry Balkan. Jack was not an extravagant, boisterous actor, but somehow he still left a mark that felt focused on the personal and real.
A life that spanned from Broadway to spaghetti westerns—and further
The story of Jack is a little like the story of an old friend. Jersey City in 1929 with his family moving to Miami, at 10. He began with literary stage plays: Richard III on Broadway in 1953 was only a beginning. Jail house theater followed, then tv: Checkmate, Perry Mason, General Hospital.
But he had a big turnabout when he got to Italy and became Hunt Powers so he could star in spaghetti westerns. Movies like Sugar Colt, and Django and Sartana Are Coming... turned him into a cult hero overseas. He joked once that Clint Eastwood’s westerns went everywhere, but his went “everywhere except Canada and America.
That unforgettable cameo in Spider‑Man—why it matters
And now, we come to 2002. Spider-Man is released. Jack is there, tiny though memorable as Henry Balkan. The one I recall is him dropping that line to Norman Osborn: "You're out, Norman" - the one that made it all change. Okay, it was brief, but there was just so much substance to it. Fans seem to call those types of moments the small moments that have so much weight.
They have him listed on IMDb with credits throughout decades: Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier, Batman Forever, Falling Down... I feel like he was always around, popping up here and there and quietly making things better.
The quiet hero behind the scenes and in real life
The most touching thing is how real he was away from the camera. Jack and actress Doris Roberts were best friends—roommates for years. He cared for her until she passed away in 2016. That's loyalty, don't you think about what kind of person he is? People like to talk about how Hollywood's full of phonies—Jack was not one of them.
He had a sister who is almost 100 years old, Joan. His nephew Dean Sullivan told the story. He died quietly in his sleep. So quiet for someone who was so lively in performance.
Why we should remember Jack Betts now more than ever
He had broken into genres—from western to soap opera to Broadway to superheroes.
He never pursued fame—but it lit up long after more dazzling names went dark.
He left a legacy of real humanity—in relationships, in little but significant moments, and in day-to-day labor.
It makes you wonder who is responsible for shaping our stories—in some cases, it might be the actor or actress, but in other cases, it could be the consistent hand of another behind the curtains. Jack Betts was one of those quiet crusaders.
A few fans weigh in
Here’s what people are saying online:
Man, Jack Betts was like that reliable carburetor that just kept on running decade after decade. From spaghetti Westerns to Spider-Man, he was the character actor equivalent of my old Osborne 2 - not always in the spotlight but always getting the job done. https://t.co/4LtSX5ck1b
— 43rdbigAIdea (Parody) (@43rdbigAIdea) June 21, 2025
Those quotes feel like someone riffing with a friend—short, real, and honest.
What his journey teaches us
No matter if you've never watched a western or that Spider‑Man cameo, there are a few things we can learn from Jack Betts' story:
Be faithful to what you care about, even if it doesn't make you a headline.
Relationships matter—his with Doris Roberts is self-explanatory.
Small moments leave a big imprint—like a couple of lines in Spider‑Man that still resound today
Remembering jack—his final curtain
Jack Betts exited quietly, but he was not quiet in life. Sixty-five years of work in front of the camera. Plays on Broadway. Long arcs in soap operas. Heroic actions in westerns. That is a full career by any metric.
He's left behind fans, loved ones, and a Hollywood that's less established without him. But the way he lived—authentic, consistent, not showy—appears to be something the world could use more of these days.
