| Charles Rocket | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Adams Claverie August 24, 1949 Bangor, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | October 7, 2005 (aged 56) Canterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1980–2004 |
Charles Rocket (August 24, 1949 – October 7, 2005) was an American film and television actor, notable for his tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live as well as for his appearances as the villain Nicholas Andre in the film Dumb and Dumber; as Dave Dennison, the father in Disney's Hocus Pocus.
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Rocket was born Charles Adams Claverie in Bangor, Maine. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design in the late 1960s and was part of the Rhode Island underground culture scene in the 1970s that also included Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and film director Gus Van Sant.
He had a son with his wife Beth.[1] They were married on board the battleship USS Massachusetts anchored in Fall River, Massachusetts.[2]
He appeared from time to time with his friend Dan Gosch as superheroes "Captain Packard" and his faithful sidekick "Lobo".[3] In a RISD yearbook, the dynamic duo appeared in a photo at the Rhode Island State House with then-Governor Frank Licht.
Rocket made several short films and fronted his band, the Fabulous Motels, on accordion. He later anchored the local news at Channel 12 WPRI and at KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs, Colorado under his own name, and WTVF Nashville under the name Charles Kennedy.[3] He made his network debut on Saturday Night Live in 1980,[3] using the name Charles Rocket. Later in his career Rocket would lend his accordion talents to the David Byrne-produced B-52's album Mesopotamia.[4]
Rocket was cast for the 1980–81 season, which followed the departure of the remaining members of the show's original cast and executive producer Lorne Michaels. Singled out by new executive producer Jean Doumanian, he was promoted as a cross between Bill Murray and Chevy Chase.[5] Rocket was tapped to anchor Weekend Update, and was featured in more sketches than any other male cast member that season with the exception of Joe Piscopo.
The February 21, 1981 episode hosted by Dallas star Charlene Tilton featured a parody of the famed "Who Shot J.R.?" story arc from the then-popular nighttime soap. During the show, Rocket was shot in the chest by a sniper in the middle of a sketch. In the show's closing moments, as cast members gathered with the host to say good night, Tilton asked Rocket how he felt about being shot. In character, Rocket improvised, "Oh, man, it’s the first time I've ever been shot in my life. I'd like to know who the fuck did it."[6]
Due partially to the violation of broadcast standards, along with Saturday Night Live's low ratings, Doumanian and Rocket were soon fired (along with most of the writers and fellow cast members Gilbert Gottfried and Ann Risley). Piscopo and Eddie Murphy were the only cast members to survive the axe, as new producer Dick Ebersol replaced Denny Dillon and Gail Matthius after one episode. In Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live, it is reported that Rocket was particularly hostile to Murphy and Piscopo.[7]
Rocket recovered from this early-career setback and worked steadily in film, with roles in such movies as Earth Girls Are Easy, It's Pat, Steal Big Steal Little, How I Got into College, Dances with Wolves and Dumb and Dumber, often playing comedic foils.
On television, in addition to guest spots on several 1980s sitcoms, Rocket played network president Ned Grossberg on the cyberpunk series Max Headroom, Richard Addison (brother to Bruce Willis's David Addison) on the comedy-drama Moonlighting, and Adam on Touched by an Angel.[8]
While Rocket saw disappointment with a string of short-lived series, including Tequila and Bonetti in 1992, The Home Court in 1995, and Normal, Ohio in 2000, he continued to make frequent guest appearances on such shows as Quantum Leap, Wings, and The King of Queens.
A guest role as a murderer on Law & Order: Criminal Intent marked his final appearance on network television. He also lent his voice to the popular video games Star Wars: Starfighter, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (as the character Nym in both games), Descent 3, and Age of Mythology. His final film role came in the 2003 movie Shade.
Rocket was found dead in a field near his Connecticut home on October 7, 2005; his throat had been cut. The state medical examiner later ruled the death a suicide. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered.[9]
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| Preceded by Jane Curtin and Bill Murray |
Weekend Update Anchor with Gail Matthius 1981 1980–1981 |
Succeeded by Brian Doyle-Murray and Mary Gross |