Actor Luke Askew has died. he was best known for his role in the 1969 film Easy Rider. Askew was born in Macon, Georgia. He made his film debut in Otto Preminger's Hurry Sundown (1967), but was first noticed as an actor for his role in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke. He was one of the first actors daring to wear long hair in this era, which he had to hide under a hat during the filming of this movie. The next year he worked with John Wayne in The Green Berets. The following year he worked with Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider, a film that set him on the road to becoming a cult figure of modern cinema.
Askew continued to work as an actor after that, predominantly appearing in guest roles on television series. This includes work on such series as: Bonanza, High Chaparral, Mission: Impossible, The Rockford Files, The Six Million Dollar Man, T. J. Hooker, L.A. Law, MacGyver, Walker, Texas Ranger and HBO's Big Love.
Askew later moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area. He died in Portland, on March 29, 2012, from lung cancer.