Sloth (The Goonies)
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Sloth, probably the most memorable character from Richard Donner and Steven Spielberg's 1985 classic film, The Goonies, was a large deformed man played by Oakland Raiders defensive end, John Matuszak.[1].
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[edit] Appearance
Created by the Burman Studio team, Sloth's makeup consisted of 15 overlapping foam latex sections, sculpted around a mechanical headpiece, which apparently took five hours to apply. This layering allowed movement of Sloth's droopy eye and dumbo ears via radio controls. Due to these physical deformities, which are never fully explained, Sloth's age is unknown.
[edit] Attire
Sloth had a rather keen fashion sense, which would later be replicated by television's Steve Urkel and start a pseudo-geek fashion trend. Sloth's normal attire is a blue t-shirt with a Superman logo on it, red suspenders holding up a pair of high-waisted, flooded jeans and tennis shoes. The bandana and pirate hat are reserved for booty-kicking occasions.
[edit] On-Screen Story
When Sloth is denied food and held chained by his family, the Fratellis, fellow captive, Chunk (Jeff Cohen) (of Truffle shuffle fame) tosses him a Baby Ruth. Chunk is at first afraid of Sloth, but later befriends him based on their common love for rocky road ice cream, whether or not it comes frozen with dead bodies. Later in the film, Sloth helps to save Chunk and the other Goonies by yelling out, "Hey you guys!" while slicing down a pirate sail with a dagger, and subsequently defeating the Fratellis. At the end of the film, Sloth is asked to become part of Chunk's Household.
[edit] Behind the Scenes
John Matuszak's impressions of the character: "Sloth is a big old boy, who was born deformed, but has a heart of gold. Even though he's mistreated by his criminal family, he sees his way clear to be a kind and good kid." [2]
