I really enjoyed him as an actor, and those of us of a science fictional bent should remember he was really one of the first true A-list stars who did serious work in the field, not just with one film, but with several, building a niche from Planet of the Apes through Soylent Green as SF's go-to guy for charismatic dystopia, and in general helping to elevate the genre's stature in film (also, his cameo in the Planet of the Apes remake was the best thing about that particular film).