Bart the Bear

Bart the Bear (January 19, 1977 – May 10, 2000) was a male Kodiak bear best known for his numerous appearances in films, including The Bear (for which he received widespread acclaim), White Fang, Legends of the Fall, and The Edge. He was trained by animal trainers Doug (b. October 8, 1942, in Erie, Pennsylvania) and Lynne Seus (née Lynda Beers on March 27, 1944, in Lincoln, Nebraska) of Wasatch Rocky Mountain Wildlife, Inc., in Heber City, Utah. Early life Bart was born on January 19, 1977, at the Baltimore Zoo. After reaching adulthood, he made his film debut in the film Windwalker (1981). He grew to 9' 7.5" (2.90 m) tall and weighed 1,500 pounds (680 kg) throughout his life as an adult. Career Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Daryl Hannah, Annette Bening, Ethan Hawke, Steven Seagal, Tchéky Karyo, Brad Pitt, Alec Baldwin, Trevor Howard, and Anthony Hopkins all appeared in films opposite Bart, and all were reportedly impressed with how well he was trained. Film directors Jean-Jacques Annaud and Lee Tamahori, who directed Bart in The Bear and The Edge, respectively, called Bart "The John Wayne of Bears". Anthony Hopkins worked with Bart in two movies: Legends of the Fall and The Edge. According to Lynne (Doug's wife), "Tony Hopkins was absolutely brilliant with Bart... He acknowledged and respected him like a fellow actor. He would spend hours just looking at Bart and admiring him. He did so many of his own scenes with Bart". Film critic Kenneth Turan called Bart's performance in The Edge "the capstone of an illustrious career" and "a milestone in ursine acting".