I was doing the Degrees of Kevin Bacon game, linked to in another thread. I was trying obscure actors, and it occurred to me to double-check with the IMDB.
Have any of you ever heard of an actor named Rockets Redglare? Maybe, or probably not. He was in three of Jim Jarmusch’s films (Stranger than Paradise, Down by Law, and Mystery Train), also Talk Radio, Trees Lounge, and others. He never had a starring role, to my knowledge, but he was memorable in what were mostly walk-ons.
Anyway, I looked him up on IMDB, and it said, “Date of death: May 28, 2001”. Whaaat?!
I also found out that he was a bodyguard for the Sex Pistols, and for Sid Vicious after the band split, plus he was a roadie for a band called the Hassles, which featured a not-yet-legal Billy Joel.
Cause of death was “complications from kidney failure, liver failure, cirrhosis and hepatitus C”. (No comment.)
His given name was Michael Morra. He will be missed, if by no one but me.