Michael J. Pollard
Michael J. Pollard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael John Pollack, Jr. May 30, 1939 |
| Died | Error: Need valid birth date (second date): year, month, day |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1959–present |
Michael John Pollack, Jr. (born May 30, 1939 - November 30, 2012) is an American actor.
Personal life
Pollard was born in Passaic, New Jersey, he is the son of Sonia (née Dubanowich) and Michael John Pollack.[1] He attended the Montclair Academy and the Actors Studio.[2] From November 6, 1961, to 1969, he was married to actress Beth Howland, with whom he has a daughter named Holly.
Career
In 1959, he played Homer McCauley, the dramatic lead, in a television adaptation of William Saroyan's novel, The Human Comedy, production narrated by Burgess Meredith.
Also in 1959, Pollard, at twenty, appeared in the episode "The Unknown Town" of David Hedison's 16-segment NBC espionage series, Five Fingers.
Pollard created the non-singing role of Hugo Peabody in the Original Broadway cast of the 1960 musical comedy Bye Bye Birdie (lyrics by Lee Adams and music by Charles Strouse). Hugo is a high-school student, boyfriend of Kim McAfee (played by Susan Watson on Broadway), who becomes jealous of Kim's infatuation with rock star Conrad Birdie. In the 1963 film version, Hugo became a singing role and was played by Bobby Rydell.
In 1962, he appeared in the short-lived Robert Young comedy and drama series Window on Main Street on CBS in an episode entitled "The Boy Who Got Too Many Laughs".[3] Pollard appeared in episode #2-30 of The Andy Griffith Show which originally aired on April 30, 1962, as Barney Fife's clumsy young cousin, Virgil, who stops by for a visit and manages to wreak havoc at the courthouse.
In 1963, he appeared on an episode of ABC's Channing, a drama about college life starring Jason Evers and Henry Jones.
In 1963, he also played the role of Digby in the movie "Summer Magic, starring Hayley Mills.
In 1964, he played the role of Cyrus in episode 108, "Journey for Three," of the television series Gunsmoke.
In 1965, he played the role of "Jingles" in the episode called "The Princess and the Paupers" on a TV Series called "Honey West".
In 1966, (at age 26) he played the role of an alien boy in Lost in Space.
Also in 1966, he played the role of Bernie in the I Spy episode "Trial by Treehouse" (airing October 19, 1966), alongside series stars Bill Cosby and Robert Culp with guest stars Cicely Tyson and Raymond St. Jacques.
In Star Trek Season 1 Episode 8 "Miri", at age 27, he played a barely pre-pubescent boy, leader of a band of orphaned children.
In 1967, he played the supporting role of C. W. Moss in Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde alongside Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, and Estelle Parsons, for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. The role led to his joke candidacy for president (see below).
In 1969, he played the supporting role of "Packy", an escaped American POW, in the WWII themed "Hannibal Brooks".
In 1970, he had a starring role as Little Fauss in the cult motorcycle racing movie Little Fauss and Big Halsy with Robert Redford, Noah Beery Jr., Lucille Benson, and Lauren Hutton.
Pollard is noted for his short stature, which had him playing child roles well into his twenties (including on Star Trek, where he played one of the inhabitants of the planet of children in the episode "Miri") and resulted in a recurring role as the diminutive trans-dimensional imp Mister Mxyzptlk in two episodes of the Superboy television series. He also appeared in the memorable first season episode of Irwin Allen's series Lost In Space as a nameless Peter Pan-like boy who lives in the dimension behind all mirrors ("The Magic Mirror"[4]).
Adept at comic roles with an odd edge, he had a stand-out bit part in the classic Norman Jewison Cold War comedy The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. He also played Packy in Hannibal Brooks.
He starred in the film Dirty Little Billy (1972), set in Coffeyville, Kansas, portrayed Billy the Kid at the beginning of his criminal career.
Pollard had a key supporting role in the 1980 cult film Melvin and Howard about the Melvin Dummar, Howard Hughes, Mormon Will controversy.
In 1988, Pollard played the role of Herman (the homeless guy who thought Bill Murray was Richard Burton) in the movie Scrooged.[5] 1989 he played 'Owen' the inventor of super weapons and a super car in Tango and Cash, starring Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone. Actor Michael J. Fox has stated that he adopted the J. in his name as a homage to Pollard.[6] Also in 1989 he played a minor role in Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland. Pollard played Bug Bailey in the 1990 film Dick Tracy.
In 1992, he starred in an episode of 6th season of Ray Bradbury Theater The Handler where he played a mortician who tries to give his clients a little extra treatment that he thinks they should have. In 1993, he appeared in the horror film Skeeter.
In 1997, he played the role of Aeolus in The Odyssey starring Armand Assante.
Pollard has continued to work in film and television into the 21st century, including his appearance as "Stucky" in the 2003 Rob Zombie directed cult classic House of 1000 Corpses.
Michael J. Pollard For President
In 1968, DJ-turned-singer Jim Lowe (who hit the top of the charts in 1956 with "The Green Door") recorded "Michael J. Pollard for President" on the Buddah Records label. (Listen here) The record, which contains sound bites from Robert Kennedy and Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley, extolled Pollard's qualifications for the Oval Office: "Those who saw him as C. W. Moss/Know this hippie is really boss!" Pollard himself can be heard at the end of the song: "Furthermore, if I'm elected for President...hey, man! President of what...?" The 45 failed to make the record charts, possibly because the use of Kennedy's voice on a comedy record after his death was considered to be in poor taste.
Death
Pollard died on November 30, 2012, of respiratory failure.
Other Contributions
Pollard suggested the title "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" for the Traffic song of the same name.[7]
AMT released a 1/25 model kit of the Michael J. Pollard "Flower Power 1936 Ford" Item # T218-200
References
- ^ FilmReference.com
- ^ Biography at Yahoo Movies
- ^ The Boy Who Got Too Many Laughs at IMDb
- ^ The Magic Mirror: An essay of analysis /
- ^ IMDB-Scrooged
- ^ Inside the Actor's Studio. 2005-10-30. No. 4, season 12.
- ^ Stevewinwood.com
External links
- Michael J. Pollard at IMDb
- Michael J. Pollard at the Internet Broadway Database
- Michael J. Pollard at Internet off-Broadway Database
- Michael J. Pollard at Memory Alpha
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