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Sydney Lassick

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Sydney Lassick
Born(1922-07-23)July 23, 1922
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedApril 12, 2003(2003-04-12) (aged 80)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeMount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Other namesSidney Lassick
OccupationActor
Years active1958–2000
Notable workCharlie Cheswick in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Mr. Fromm in Stephen King's Carrie (1976)
Ernest Keller in The Unseen (1980)
Luke Gutchel in Alligator (1980)
Roscoe in Cool as Ice (1991)

Sydney Lassick (July 23, 1922 – April 12, 2003) was an American character actor perhaps best known for his role as Charlie Cheswick in the feature film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Lassick's first name was sometimes spelled Sidney.[1][2]

Biography

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He was born in Chicago, Illinois,[3] to Russian Jewish immigrants. Lassick, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and afterwards studied drama at DePaul University,[2] began acting in both films and TV shows in the late 1950s.

Lassick is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Charlie Cheswick, a whiny and childish manic depressive patient in the 1975 Academy Award-winning film One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Other memorable roles include a fey Fairy Godfather in the lowbrow Sinderella and the Golden Bra; Mr. Fromm, the spitefully sarcastic English teacher in the 1976 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Carrie; the perverse and abusive innkeeper Ernest Keller in slasher horror The Unseen; the slimy Charlie P. in the cult film Sonny Boy; and the effeminate lackey Gopher in Deep Cover (1992). Lassick also was the voice of Straycatcher #2 in the 1992 animated feature film Tom and Jerry: The Movie.

In television, Lassick guest starred on such shows as Eight Is Enough, Baretta, Hawaii Five-O, Barney Miller, Matt Houston, Moonlighting, Night Court, Knots Landing, Dream On and The X-Files.[2] While usually a supporting actor, he played the lead in an episode of Amazing Stories called "Remote Control Man".

Death

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Lassick died of complications of diabetes at age 80 in Midway Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Lassick was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.[2]

Filmography

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Lassick's filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1958 The Bonnie Parker Story Scout Master
1959 Paratroop Command Interpreter
1959 Al Capone Hot Dog Vendor Uncredited
1964 Sinderella and the Golden Bra Fairy Godfather As Sid Lassick
1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Charlie Cheswick
1976 Carrie Mr. Fromm
1977 The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington Percy Bowlder
1977 The Billion Dollar Hobo Mitchell
1977 Bunco TV Movie
1978 China 9, Liberty 37 Sheriff's friend
1978 Greatest Heroes of the Bible King Agadiz TV mini series
1979 The Cracker Factory Ernie TV
1979 Hot Stuff Hymie
1979 Skatetown, U.S.A. Murray
1979 1941 Salesman Uncredited
1980 Alligator Luke Gutchel As Sidney Lassick
1980 The Unseen Ernest Keller
1981 History of the World: Part I Applecore Vendor
1982 Pandemonium Man in Bus Station
1982 Partners Photo Shoot Assistant Uncredited
1982 Fast-Walking Ted
1982 Forty Days of Musa Dagh Osman
1984 Silent Madness Sheriff Liggett
1984 Night Patrol Peeping Tom As Sidney Lassick
1984 Monaco Forever American Tourist
1985 Stitches Sheldon Mendlebaum
1986 Ratboy Lee 'Dial-A-Prayer'
1987 Body Slam Shapiro
1988 Lady in White Mr. Lowry
1988 The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck Wolfgang Meyer
1989 Sonny Boy Charlie P.
1989 Out on Bail Otis T. Smiley
1989 Curse II: The Bite George
1989 Tale of Two Sisters Dad
1989 Judgement Dr. Henry Silver
1990 Pacific Palisades Mr. Beer
1990 Smoothtalker Mr. Nathan
1990 Wishful Thinking Dr. Harding
1991 Committed Gow
1991 Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Franklin
1991 The Art of Dying Wallie
1991 Shakes the Clown Peppy the Clown
1991 Cool as Ice Roscoe
1992 Deep Cover Gopher
1992 Judgement Dr. Henry Silver
1992 Miracle Beach Tooth Fairy
1992 Tom and Jerry: The Movie Straycatcher #2 Voice
1993 Eye of the Stranger Oli
1993 Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit Competition Announcer
1994 Future Shock Mr. Johnson
1996 Freeway Woody Wilson
1996 Johns Al
1996 Squanderers Peter Chisholm
1997 American Vampire Bruno
1999 Man on the Moon Crystal Healer
2000 Something to Sing About Elderly Man Final film role

Notable TV guest appearances

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  • Serpico as Goldman in episode 1.0: "The Deadly Game", 24 April 1976
  • The Man from Atlantis as Smith in episode 1.7: "The Hawk of Mu", 18 October 1977
  • Eight Is Enough as Mr. Kaminsky in episode 2.6: "Dark Horse", 26 October 1977
  • Baretta in episode 4.8: "Who Can Make the Sun Shine?", 30 November 1977
  • Tabitha as Warlock in episode 1.9: "What's Wrong with Mister Right?", 31 December 1977
  • Kaz in episode 1.7: "Which Side Are You On?", 5 November 1978
  • Barney Miller
    • as Mr. Cummings in episode 5.11: "Toys", 14 December 1978
    • as Victor Carse (as Sidney Lassick, in episode 6.22: "Fog", 8 May 1980
  • Archie Bunker's Place as Sid in episode 3.4: "Harry's Investment", 25 October 1981 and in episode 3.3: "The Date", 11 October 1981
  • Gloria as Dr. Montego in episode 1.20: "Class Struggle", 3 April 1983
  • Matt Houston as Brady in episode 2.5: "Needle in a Haystack", 7 October 1983
  • Night Court as Leo in episode 2.4: "Pick a Number", 25 October 1984
  • Amazing Stories as Walter Poindexter in episode 1.10: "Remote Control Man", 8 December 1985
  • Moonlighting as Neighbor in episode 2.11: "The Bride of Tupperman", 14 January 1986
  • Gabriel's Fire as Liebowitz in episode 1.19: "One Flew Over the Bird's Nest", 17 April 1991
  • On the Air as Mr. Zoblotnick in episodes 1.7 & 1.4, 1992
  • Dream On as Mr. Janovic in episode 4.18: "Martin Tupper in 'Magnum Farce'", 16 February 1994
  • The X-Files as Chuck Forsch in episode 4.22: "Elegy", 4 May 1997

References

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  1. ^ "Sydney Lassick". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
  2. ^ a b c d "Sydney Lassick (Obituary)". Variety. April 17, 2003. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  3. ^ Scott, Vernon. "He's Hoping For Big Break — At 60". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 13.
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