John Beasley would often show up in the most remarkable roles. He was the kind of actor who no matter how much screen time he got, he filled it with grace and ease. Films like Rudy, Untamed Heart, and The Sum of All Fears would be irrevocably changed without the steady skills Beasley brought to the table.

Fans of the WB's Everwood will have fond memories of John Beasley as Irv Harper, the gentle bus driver-turned-author who put pen to paper in order to spread the charms of Everwood beyond its city limits. Actor Chris Pratt got his start on the show, and as recently as May 2023 was shouting out John Beasley while standing court side at a Lakers game.

John's grandson, Malik Beasley, plays for the Lakers, so Chris took the opportunity to send a message to his former coworker and friend. Malik's father Michael shared the video via Twitter. "Yo Beasley, I'm looking at your grandson Malik right now," said Chris. "I remember when you told me on Everwood, when he was like four years old, 'My grandson's gonna play in the NBA.' Well look at this, there he is."

He also loved acting so much that he was moved to pay it forward. "He established the John Beasley Theater and Workshop in Omaha and ran it for 13 years," said The Hollywood Reporter. This allowed him to really make a difference by teaching what he knew to people who might not have the opportunity to learn outside of cities like Los Angeles or New York.

One of of his last roles was playing the James Garner part of a stage adaptation of The Notebook in Chicago. It was set to premiere on Broadway, but sadly John didn't live long enough to be part of that journey. "If I never got to Broadway, I would still feel I’ve had a pretty successful career," he said to American Theatre. He never got there, but he certainly made it.