Award nominee Michael J. Pollard,
known for his roles in “Bonnie and Clyde” and “House of 1000 Corpses,” has
died. He was 80.
“House of 1000 Corpses” director
Rob Zombie broke the news on Facebook early Friday morning.
“We have lost another member of our ‘House of
1000 Corpses’ family. I woke up to the news that Michael J. Pollard had died. I
have always loved his work and his truly unique on screen presence,” Zombie
said in his post. “He was one of the first actors I knew I had to work with as
soon as I got my first film off the ground. He will be missed.”
Born 1939 in Passaic, N.J.,
Pollard attended Montclair Academy and Actors Studio in New York City in his
early career. He started out in television in the late ’50s, appearing on shows
like “Lost in Space” and “Star Trek,” but landed his breakout role as C.W.
Moss, the accomplice-turned-snitch to Bonnie and Clyde in the 1967 film
starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Pollard received an Academy Award
nomination for best supporting actor and BAFTA nomination for most promising
newcomer. He went on to star in films like “Dirty Little Billy,” “Melvin and
Howard,” “Roxanne” and “Tango & Cash.”
More recently, Pollard starred in
Zombie’s 2003 cult film “House of 1000 Corpses.” His last role was “The Woods”
in 2012.
“Michael J. Pollard was one of a kind. Made every
film he was in better. You sat up and took notice,” Larry Karaszewski,
“Dolemite Is My Name” producer, tweeted. “I met him once on the street in
Beverly Hills and tried to pay him a compliment. He growled at me. I mean —
literally growled at me. It was a perfect moment.”