Richard Farnsworth, the former stuntman and Oscar nominated actor for the critically acclaimed movie "The Straight Story," was found dead on Friday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 80.

According to E!Online, Farnsworth's fiancée, Jewely Van Valin, said he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer several years ago, and authorities speculate that he committed suicide because of the pain.

Although in the industry for over 60 years, it wasn't until last year that the sweet natured and soft spoken actor found himself in the role of a lifetime. In David Lynch's "The Straight Story," Farnsworth played Alvin Straight, an elderly man who drove his lawnmower from Iowa to Wisconsin to see his ailing, estranged brother. The performance landed Farnsworth an Oscar nomination for best actor, and he became the oldest actor ever up for the award.

A small-town bowling alley owner captured the hearts of TV viewers Sunday, as NBC's Ed rolled a ratings strike in its debut frame.

Ed, starring Tom Cavanagh, of NBC sister show Providence, posted a win in one of the network's toughest time slots, according to Variety. The new series could be in for a rougher time in upcoming weeks, though, when its formidable regular competition returns.

The critically heralded drama, co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants, attracted 15.7 million viewers and delivered a strong 6.5 rating in the prized adults 18 to 49 demographic, according to early results from Nielsen. It's the network's best demo score in the Sunday 8 p.m. hour in more than three years. In its first outing, Ed faced neither the CBS hit Touched by an Angel nor Fox darlings The Simpsons and Malcolm in the Middle. Touched by an Angel's premiere was pushed back a week due to a nearly one-hour NFL game overrun in the East (a move highly protested by the show's fans), while Fox is holding back its top-ranked comedies until after the World Series ends.

Ed was the top series of the night among adults 18 to 49, 18 to 34, and 25 to 54, beating both ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and The Practice. The only other new programs of the night - the WB's Hype and Nikki - also looked good, which bodes well for the network's chances with a six-sitcom Sunday.

Ed, the drama about a big-city lawyer who returns to his Ohio hometown and buys the local bowling alley, improved by 9 percent in viewers and by 12 percent in adults 18 to 49. It will finish the week as the No. 3 drama among adults 18 to 49.

The debut numbers are promising for NBC, which has struggled in the early hours of Sunday evening in recent years, making it more difficult for its Sunday movie to compete from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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