Deliverance’s Toothless Man couldn’t read or write as chance meeting led to big break

The real-life redneck behind one of the most disturbing scenes in cinema history only got his big break through a chance encounter with a Hollywood icon.

Herbert Coward was sadly killed in a horrific car accident this week at the age of 85 as fans remember his iconic performance in the 1972 thriller Deliverance.

Despite having only a few minutes screen-time, Herbert left an indelible impression on viewers and also coined the term “squeal like a pig” when he played the sadistic Toothless Man His bone-chilling portrayal of the sadistic villain saw him propelled into the spotlight practically overnight thanks to his part in the Oscar-nominated film. However, he chose to step away from acting and lived a quiet life in the mountains of North Carolina.

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Despite his move away from the public eye, he still had time for fans five decades later, which made his sudden passing all the more shocking in the film community.

Herbert almost stumbled into acting as a youngster, but it was his gig at an Old Western theme park in the early 60s that led to his big break.

While playing an outlaw at the Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park, he became pals with then-unknown actor Burt Reynolds

During his time at the park he also had a mishap with a prop gun that knocked out his two front teeth, giving him his iconic look.

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Burt Reynolds later became a Hollywood superstar, and when he scored the lead role in Deliverance, he convinced the director to give Herbert a shot.

Due to being illiterate and having no on-screen experience, Herbert couldn’t read his lines during the audition, so he improvised, landing the role despite his lack of education and experience.

And it was his improvisational skills helped shape one of the most talked-about scenes of the time.

His eerie line, “He got a real pretty mouth, ain’t he?” is still quoted today, and he also coined the now-infamous phrase which saw co-star Bill McKinney telling one of the victims to “squeal like a pig.”

Despite millions praising Herbert’s portrayal as the villain in the hugely successful film, he didn’t act much beyond Deliverance.

Instead of chasing fame, he chose a quiet life in North Carolina, working at a factory for nearly 30 years before retiring.

He only appeared in one other film, “Ghost Town: The Movie”, in 2007.

Even years after “Deliverance” was released, Hebert still took pride in his role. In 2017, he said, “I [still] sign autographs and take pictures. I have folks call me on the phone when they’re with friends and put me on speaker and say, ‘Tell these people to squeal like a pig,”‘ he said.

“It’s fun. I’ll say, ‘Squeal like a pig! Squeal like Pa’s ol’ pig!’ and we get a big laugh.”

Tragically, it was reported on Wednesday (January 24) that Herbert had died in a car crash along with his partner Bertha Brooks, 78, his Chihuahua, and his pet squirrel.

Their car was hit by a truck driven by a 16-year-old.

Neither Herbert nor Bertha were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident, and the teen driver was not speeding, according to ABC news.

The teenager survived the crash and was taken to a local hospital. His condition is currently unknown.

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk