RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Fred Sorenson
Jock (the pilot)
Sorenson's only film role was in Raiders. He is not an actor, but an actual pilot. In fact, he was hired by the production team of the movie to fly them around while they were scouting locations. At some point during these travels, Frank Marshall or Steven Spielberg asked if he'd be interested in the small role of Jock, the pilot that helps introduce Indiana Jones' fear of snakes. He said "sure", and he was in the film. Sorenson went on to have a very long career as a commercial airline pilot, retiring in 2014 at the age of 65, the mandatory age of retirement set by the FAA.
Patrick Durkin
Australian Climber (bar scene)
He never even said a word, but everyone who loves Raiders knows Durkin very well. If you thought this was just a one-off for an actor you may have never seen before, you'd be sorely wrong. He was a British actor who appeared in more than 20 feature films and 75 television series in his long career. He was a stage actor and part of a popular comedy team with Tommy Cooper in the UK. And if you've ever heard of the "Carry On" series of TV shows and films, then you undoubtedly have seen Durkin's mug before. He even showed up on a couple of episodes of "Coronation Street"!! Durkin passed away on September 1, 2009 at the age of 73.
PAT ROACH
Giant Sherpa/1st Mechanic
One of my favourite scenes in Raiders was the big bald dude that comes out and fights Indy at the plane. I just assumed this role was played by some random stuntman. Well, I was wrong. Pat Roach did do stunt work, but he was the "big guy" in many films along the way. He was a professional wrestler at one time, fighting under the name of "Bomber" Roach. His first two film roles were in Stanley Kubrick movies; A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon. That's him in the Milk Bar.
He actually appears in the first three Indy films, small parts of course, but you can find him if you look! He also made appearances in the original Clash Of The Titans, Never Say Never Again, Conan The Destroyer, Red Sonja and Willow. He passed away from throat cancer on July 17, 2004 at the age of 67.
TERRY RICHARDS
Arab Swordsman
Here is a case of a stuntman getting a prime role. In one of the most talked about scenes from when the movie was released, Indy finds himself face to face with an expert swordsman who looks as if he could end the film right there. But Indy, not wanting to waste any more time trying to find Marion, decides to just take out his pistol and shoot the Arab. Hilarious! Little did I know that the swordsman was not Arab (some white British guy), but also a professional stuntman who worked on dozens of films throughout his career. He worked on seven James Bond films, starting with From Russia With Love in 1963 to The World Is Not Enough in 1999! He also worked on The Dirty Dozen, The Empire Strikes Back, Superman II and The Princess Bride. Richards passed away on June 14, 2014 at the age of 81.
STAR WARS
PHIL BROWN
Uncle Owen
Now here's an interesting story: Phil Brown was a film and stage actor in New York in the 1940's and '50's. His association with a particular acting group came under scrutiny in the early '50's when the House Un-American Activities Committee started it's witch hunt for those they felt were communists. Brown became blacklisted, although maintained he had no communist associations, and eventually moved his family overseas to England. There, he acted in dozens of movies and TV shows. When George Lucas was casting for his new space opera in England, he wanted a actor with a strong American accent to play Luke's uncle. Brown, originally from Massachusetts, won the role right away. His small role in Star Wars made him more famous than ever, and he attended many conventions from then on. Brown passed away from pneumonia on February 9, 2006 at the age of 89.
SHELAGH FRASER
Aunt Beru
Shelagh Fraser enjoyed a 60-year career on stage, in films and on television, mostly in her home country of England. Nothing would vault her to stardom like the role of Luke Skywalker's aunt in Star Wars, but she did appear in over 70 movies and TV shows in her time, starting with her first film, Welcome, Mr. Washington, way back in 1944. She was also a popular member of the BBC Repertory Company where she appeared in more than 500 radio plays! If you lived in Britain during the 1970's, there is no doubt you watched her on TV in her role as Jean Ashton on "A Family At War". Fraser passed away on August 29, 2000 at the age of 79.
DREWE HENLEY
Red Leader
Henley was a British actor who appeared in about three dozen films and television shows during his career, which began in the early 1960's. He was an accomplished theatre actor as well. He appeared, without credit, in 1966's A Man For All Seasons, as well as Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy in 1972. His role as Red Leader in Star Wars would prove to be his last filmed as he soon after retired from acting due to manic depression. Tragically, Henley died from choking on food on February 14, 2016. He was 75 years old.
TAXI DRIVER
DIAHNNE ABBOTT
Concession Girl
She sold treats to Travis Bickle at the porn theatre, and then she stole his heart. Actually, I'm not kidding...soon after filming Taxi Driver, Abbott and DeNiro were married, and stayed married for over a dozen years! She appeared in a couple of other Scorsese/DeNiro films (New York, New York and The King Of Comedy), but has only appeared in a handful of productions since. Her cousin, Gregory Abbott, had a hit single in 1986 called "Shake You Down"...oh wella-well.
LEONARD HARRIS
Charles Palantine
Leonard Harris is not an actor, although he did a fine job as the U.S. Senator in Taxi Driver. He was cast in the role because Martin Scorsese was an acquaintance. Really, he was a journalist who began his career writing obituaries and book reviews in Hartford, Connecticut in the mid-1950's. From 1966 to 1974 he was the on-camera culture critic for CBS in New York City. He was also the writer of three novels. Harris had one other film role, in 1980's Hero At Large, where he played the Mayor. He passed away from pneumonia on August 28, 2011 at age 81.
NORMAN MATLOCK
Charlie T.
He only appeared in about a dozen films, but some were pretty good ones! Before playing a cabbie in Taxi Driver, Matlock appeared in the cultish Across 110th Street from 1972. Later on he played the Police Commissioner in a couple of old favourites; The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters. He also showed up in a couple of Spike Lee movies; Crooklyn and Clockers. Matlock passed away on September 30, 2015 after living 90 years.
STEVEN PRINCE
Andy (Gun Salesman)
Prince appeared in only five movies, but his introduction to the film world is very interesting. He was hired for the role of Andy because Martin Scorsese was told he was a fast-talking, hard-living dude who actually used to run guns. During the filming of the scene, Prince would discuss stories about his life, which included being a heroin addict and a road manager for Neil Diamond (!). Scorsese really liked the guy and decided to make a documentary about him in 1978 titled American Boy: A Profile Of Steven Prince. In that, Prince tells a story about having to revive a friend of his who was overdosing on heroin. He had to inject an adrenaline shot into the heart of a woman while reading how to do it from a medical dictionary. As a young lad, Quentin Tarantino saw this documentary and added that scene into his own movie, Pulp Fiction!
DIE HARD
ALEXANDER GODUNOV
Karl
The main henchman in Die Hard had a pretty cool back-story. He began studying dance at the age of nine in his native Russia (back then the USSR). He became good...really good, especially at ballet. He ended up being a star in the Bolshoi Ballet after joining in 1971. He ended up defecting to the United States in 1979, an act that would lead to a divorce from his dancing wife who wanted to return to Russia. He joined the American Ballet Theatre under the guidance of director Mikhail Baryshnikov until they had a falling out in 1982. He ended up going to Hollywood to be an actor. Ain't that nuts?!? He only appeared in about half a dozen films, his other most notable opposite Harrison Ford in Witness. Godunov tragically died at a young age on May 13, 1995 after contracting hepatitis. He was only 45 years old.
DE'VOREAUX WHITE
Argyle
I always thought one of the coolest roles in Die Hard was that of Argyle, the fast talking, eager to please limo driver who waits patiently for John McClane. White only appeared in a handful of movies during his acting career, but I was shocked to learn that he appeared in one of my favourite films. Here he is as a 14-year old in The Blues Brothers:
Yup! He was the kid that tried to steal the guitar off the wall from Ray Charles' music shop!! Crazy, man! His acting career went back even further than that, as he made appearances on TV shows "The Jeffersons" and "What's Happening!" in the late '70's. He ended up having a starring role in TV's "Head Of The Class" with Howard Hesseman.
CLARENCE GILYARD JR.
Theo
He was the main brains of the safe break, the one who knew how to stop the elevators from working and enter unknown security protocols. Gilyard only appeared in about a dozen other films, most notably Top Gun as Sundown, but would show up from time to time on popular TV shows such as "Diff'rent Strokes", "CHiPs", "Simon & Simon", "The Facts Of Life" and "Matlock". He scored a pretty substantial role as James Trivette on "Walker, Texas Ranger" opposite Chuck Norris from 1993 to 2001. Later on he turned to teaching theatre at the University Of Nevada in Las Vegas.
ANIMAL HOUSE
MARY LOUISE WELLER
Mandy Pepperidge
She was the sexy, preppy girlfriend of Greg Marmalard. She may have had a thing for Eric Stratton, but we were never too sure. What we were sure of, though, is that she was the head of the local sorority, and the reason John Belushi fell of a very tall ladder! Weller only appeared in about two dozen movies and TV shows, retiring early, her last credit being an appearance on "Quincy M.E." in 1983 when she was in her late-30's. In her younger years, Weller was an experience horse rider, training with the U.S. Equestrian Team and participating in many competitions.
MARTHA SMITH
Babs Jansen
The other preppy who may have wanted to be a bad-girl, Barbara Sue "Babs" Jansen was a close friend to Mandy's. The actress, Martha Smith, had only appeared in a handful of things before being cast as Babs. But, in the mid-'80's, she would get an occurring role in the popular TV show "Scarecrow And Mrs. King" starring Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner. From there she appeared in the occasional movie or TV show. She may be remember best from the credits of Animal House in which it's said she became a tour guide at Universal Studios. For years after, if you asked for Babs when visiting the Studio, you would receive a discounted price.
JAMES DAUGHTON
Greg Marmalard
"Greg Marmalard, damned glad to meet you". James Daughton brought the perfect amount of scum and style to the role of Greg Marmalard. Pretty to look at, but what a freaking jerk! Before Animal House, Daughton appeared in a few TV shows, but seemed to gain some recognition in a few episodes of "Happy Days" in 1977. After Animal House, he jumped around from TV show to occasional movie role. I remember him most from Spies Like Us with Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase in 1985. His last credited role came in 2002 in the movie Sorority Boys.
There's just a few of the people we've seen but may not know. I'll probably do a sequel to this post sometime...it was fun to investigate their lives and careers.
Hope you enjoyed!
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