| Michael J. Pollard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael John Pollack, Jr. May 30, 1939 Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1959–present |
Michael J. Pollard (born May 30, 1939) is an American actor.
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Born Michael John Pollack, Jr. 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]
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 a memorable first season episode of Irwin Allen's Lost In Space series as a mysterious boy who lives on the other side of all mirrors. 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.[4] 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.[5]
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 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.
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 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.
Pollard suggested the title "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" for the Traffic song of the same name.[6]