RIP Charles Rocket
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Earth Girls Are Easy
77517 — 20 years ago(October 20, 2005 02:18 AM)
Charles Rocket, who played Ted, died October 7th.
http://www.broward.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/12928718.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_nation
Actor, comedian best known for 'SNL' gaffe is found dead in field
BY VALERIE J. NELSON
Los Angeles Times Service
Charles Rocket, an actor and former Saturday Night Live comedian who gained notoriety almost 25 years ago for uttering an unscripted obscenity during a skit on the NBC show, has died. He was 56.
Rocket was found dead Oct. 7 in a field near his home in Canterbury, Conn. His throat had been cut, and the Connecticut medical examiner's office has ruled his death a suicide.
''Our investigation at the scene determined there was no criminal aspect to this case,'' State Police Sgt. J. Paul Vance told The Los Angeles Times on Monday.
Rocket joined the SNL cast in the fall of 1980 and let an expletive slip the following February during a spoof of the famed ''Who Shot J.R.?'' plot line from the CBS night-time soap Dallas. Viewers complained, and NBC issued an apology.
The former television newscaster was fired soon after along with other cast members and writers on the show, which had tepid ratings.
''I'm not proud of the fact it slipped through,'' Rocket told People magazine in 1989 of the single word that derailed his early career. ``But that's all it was a slip.''
He went on to appear in many television shows and to provide voices for animated series. Rocket portrayed Bruce Willis' brother on ABC's Moonlighting and was featured in recurring roles on CBS' Touched by an Angel and ABC's Max Headroom.
In film, Rocket was the philandering husband of Geena Davis in Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) and an obnoxious campus administrator in How I Got into College (1989). His movie credits also include Dumb & Dumber (1994) and Dances with Wolves (1990). His last movie role was in the 2003 Sylvester Stallone film Shade.
Born Charles Claverie in Bangor, Maine, he attended the Rhode Island School of Design and was influential in the Providence, R.I., arts scene.
He spent much of the 1970s as a news reporter and anchor, using the name Charles Kennedy. His network debut was on SNL, where he anchored the ''Weekend Update'' news parody.
As an accordion player, he performed with many bands and played on a tribute album to composer Nino Rota, who scored a number of Federico Fellini films.
Rocket is survived by his wife, Beth, and a son, Zane. -
JohnnyGoodtimes — 20 years ago(February 23, 2006 10:18 AM)
I can't believe he died! I just saw him in an old Tom Petty music video, and I thought, "This guy is awesome, he shows up everywhere."
"You taste like a burger. I don't like you anymore." Andy,
Wet Hot American Summer -
merryg — 20 years ago(March 16, 2006 01:28 PM)
Yeah real sad. I don't remenber the video but I wish I could see it again
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=16793372 -
yasmin_anjumuk — 19 years ago(November 29, 2006 03:24 PM)
You'll find the Tom Petty video here featuring Charles.
http://country-videos.blogspot.com/2006/10/tom-petty-yer-so-bad.html
(copy & paste link)
yasmin
29 nov 06.(11.22pmUK) -
am_buglet_82 — 19 years ago(March 31, 2007 08:05 PM)
That's terrible!
I just now read this thread, because I bought EGAE today and decided to go to the imdb site for it.
I'm so sorry for Charles and his family :(.
I remember seeing him in all kinds of things, I can't believe he's dead!
-Amanda
"She will remember your heart when men are fairy tales in storybooks written by rabbits" -
bemanning-1 — 19 years ago(April 03, 2007 07:42 AM)
I just watch EGAE recently and decided to look up Charles Rocket. He was also in a ep of Star Trek Voyager that just aired.
I was heart broken to hear that he passed, and even more grieved that he took his own life.
RIPI will miss him!!! -
tiptop-1 — 18 years ago(April 05, 2007 07:12 PM)
My heart went out to him when I found out he was fired from SNL. No big loss, I would've told him. He had a small part as an airline pilot/date in Robert Altman's complex movie "Short Cuts."
"Charlie, we hardly knew ya'." -
yasmin_anjumuk — 18 years ago(May 30, 2007 09:16 AM)
I only bought the movie EGAE to watch Charlie Rocket. I thought he was really funny in it. He had this certain unique way to bring out comedy to the surface.
I watched it last night for the 1st time & I thought that all the actors in it were good. Took me back to my teens a bit ( yep, you guessed it, I was a child of the '80s)
Speaking of Short Cuts also, Charlie Rocket had so much fun with one of the kids in that film.
link:
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/17/180149.php
Quote:
October 17, 2005 @ 20:28PM Susie
What sadness did Charles have that made it necessary for him to make it all go away?
My son (then a child) had the fortune to work with him on two different projects. The first, "Quantum Leap," was how we first met Charles. But the real joy was when they both had lovely roles in Robert Altman's film, "Short Cuts." I especially recall the day that my son, Frances McDormand and Charles Rocket shot a scene in a moving open convertible, and all the fun they had (not only when the camera was rolling, but especially between takes, as Charles would drive them back to their starting point).
Charles was brilliant. He was sweet, soft-spoken, modest, clever, funny as all hell, talented, and a dear, dear man. I liked him immensely.yasmin
never let go
in memory of Charles Rocket
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yasmin_anjumuk/my_photos -
Dejael — 17 years ago(March 26, 2009 03:53 PM)
Charles Rocket was a great comedian, and he could have had a career as a leading man in films and television also, if he had chosen that path. One of his best roles ever was as the compassionate officer for the U.S. Cavalry in Kevin Costner's western epic DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990). It's too bad he didn't have a bigger part in that movie.
Dejael