The Only Main Actors Still Alive From Escape From Alcatraz

One of the best Clint Eastwood movies out there, "Escape from Alcatraz" is a standout representative of the prison break genre, made all the more impressive by the fact that it's based on a true story. A fine example of a critical darling that was also a box office success, the thriller tells a version of the real-life 1963 Alcatraz escape by Frank Morris (Eastwood), John Anglin (Fred Ward), and Clarence Anglin (Jack Thibeau). 

"Escape from Alcatraz" is also from 1979, which makes it a pretty old movie. As such, much of its main cast has passed away in the decades since its grand premiere — but some of the most notable actors who appear in the movie are still with us. Here's a look at the only main actors from "Escape from Alcatraz" who are still alive.  

Clint Eastwood is far and away the biggest name in "Escape from Alcatraz," and of course, he's still with us. One of the brightest film stars in Hollywood's history who also became one of the great directors of his generation, there's little he hasn't done in the movie business. Many of the biggest Eastwood movies of all time are stone cold classics, and while he didn't direct "Escape from Alcatraz," his portrayal of prison escape expert Frank Morris is a key part of the movie's allure and its many iconic scenes.

Eastwood's film career is so prolific that listing his accomplishments and accolades could make up an entire book. At the Oscars alone, he's won two best picture Academy Awards and two best director trophies. In 1995, he also won the special Irwin G. Thalberg Memorial Award Oscar, which is only awarded to filmmakers whose greatness is consistent. 

Along with the quality of his work, Eastwood's sheer longevity is amazing. The man started his acting career in the mid-1950s and has continued to work into his 90s, directing and starring in 2021's "Cry Macho" at 91 years young.

Larry Hankin plays Charley Butts in "Escape from Alcatraz." While the role of a convict who's ultimately not quite courageous enough to join the escape attempt is notable enough, it may not be the role most people remember Hankin from ... if only because his body of work is so extensive that there's a Larry Hankin role for everyone. 

If you're a fan of sitcoms, you may have seen him as the eternally grumpy Mr. Heckles on "Friends." If prestige drama is more up your alley, he's the junkyard guy known as Old Joe in "Breaking Bad" and "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie." He's the elderly assassin Stovka on "Barry" and Tom Pepper on "Seinfeld." He's played guest roles on shows from "C.S.I." and "Monk" to "My Name Is Earl" and "E.R.," along with many others.

Considering Hankin's lengthy résumé, it may be strange to hear that acting isn't exactly his calling. "I never wanted to be an actor," he said In a 2023 interview with Cracked. "I still don't. I can do it, and it pays a lot of money. But when I'd see other actors on a set, I wasn't like them. I didn't have a need to be an actor. If I auditioned and got the job, that would be a paycheck. I didn't take it any further. I didn't care about who I worked with or that I'd get to be on television — it was just the paycheck so that I could make my own film shorts and paint."

One of the two Anglin brothers who perform the daring escape with Eastwood's Frank Morris is Clarence, played by Jack Thibeau. While the character is without doubt among his most famous roles, the actor has appeared in plenty of other projects over the years, including two notable mid-1980s films. In 1986, he played Trooper Prestone in the Rutger Hauer thriller "The Hitcher." The next year, he appeared as Detective McCaskey in what might be the most famous buddy cop movies of them all, "Lethal Weapon." Funnily enough, this reversed the roles between him and Danny Glover, who stars in "Lethal Weapon" as Roger Murtaugh. While Glover had a small role as an inmate in "Escape from Alcatraz," Thibeau now played a supporting part in Glover's arguably best-known film. 

Thibeau continued to act until the early 1990s. His most prominent late-game role was as gangster Bugsy Malone in the period crime drama "The Untouchables," where he appeared on six episodes. The actor's final on-screen role was an appearance on the TV show "Fallen Angels" in 1995. 

Unfortunately, the third member of the trio and the man who portrayed Clarence's brother, John Anglin, isn't with us anymore. "Escape from Alcatraz" and "Tremors" star Fred Ward died in 2022 at 79.