The Tragic Death Of Shaft Actor Tommy Lane
Tommy Lane — actor and respected stunt professional who appeared in 1971's "Shaft," as well as the 1973 James Bond film "Live and Let Die" — died on November 29, the New York Post reported. He was 83 years old. In addition to lending his talents to the big screen, Lane also worked at The Public Theater in New York before landing work on television shows like "Flipper" and "Simon & Simon," according to IMDb.
Lane died at Fort Lauderdale's Florida Medical Center, with his daughter Kamala, confirming to Variety that he had been dealing with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for quite some time before his death. Lane is survived by his wife, Raquel Bastias-Lane, as well as seven children and a stepson. He also had both grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In light of Lane's death, his fans are looking back at his life as well as his contributions to the movie industry.
Tommy Lane was both an actor and a jazz musician
Tommy Lane was born as Benjamin Thomas Lane in Liberty City, Miami, back on December 17, 1937, according to his IMDb bio. Along with being an actor who worked on-screen throughout the '70s and '80s, he was also someone who had musical skills. In fact, he played both the trumpet and flugelhorn. As a jazz musician, he could be seen — and heard — performing at Blue Note in New York City at the same time he was working as an actor.
Of course, Lane was best known for his appearances in popular films. That's why the official James Bond 007 Twitter account acknowledged Lane's death on December 1, noting he "played the stylish henchman Adam in LIVE AND LET DIE." They added, "Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."
Lane's fans also took to social media in response to the news, with one person writing, "Gutted reading that Tommy Lane, aka [Adam The Enforcer], has died at 83." While adding that Lane's character was "great ... in 'Live And Let Die,'" they agreed that he was "definitely one of the best-dressed henchmen in the franchise."
It's clear that Lane will be remembered fondly in many ways and his legacy will continue on in his fan-favorite films.