SNL Curse Strikes Again!

One of my sons is working towards the goal of getting on that show. I am going to try to steer him in another direction I think.

This is really sad.

I don't remember him.

I never heard of anyone committing suicide by cutting their own throat before.

Mabel

I have a case of this in my family history (gr-grandmother). Though I'm positive after reading the autopsy report, that someone did it for her.

It's suppose to be exceptionally rare that you can do it, and doesn't have a high succcess rate.

Pook said:

I don't remember him.

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I didn't either. Here is a link with his photo. I believe he was the bad guy in Dumb and Dumber (he did not have a beard then).

http://www.ehrensteinland.com/htmls/g007/charlesrocket.html

JBean said:

One of my sons is working towards the goal of getting on that show. I am going to try to steer him in another direction I think.

This is really sad.

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Charlie Rocket was probably the unfunniest performer they had on the show, to the point where he became a butt of jokes. Ironic, huh? That was during the period where viewers were unaccustomed to the concept of rotating out the cast of SNL, which is now (20+ years later) standard practice, and there was a lot of negative response re the loss of Ackroyd, Murray, et. al.

I was friendly with two writers/creative directors of both the early SNL & SCTV, both now, sadly, deceased before their time, and at one point had one degree of separation between myself and Farley, Hartman, Murray, Belushi etc. Perhaps I can put the SNL "curse" into better perspective.

Actors, even fairly successful ones, often do not have the world's greatest healthcare, as they are essentially self-employed. And your SAG/WGA health benefits are often decided by how recently you have been actively employed, and whether that employment was union. or non-union. And the rigors of the business, especially amongst comics who are expected to be "funny" & "on" 24/7 by everyone but other comics/actors is exceptionally high--hence the number of "funny guys" who self-medicate. Then there's the truly dangerous aspect of celebrity, where people are not willing to step in and reign in your indulgences re drugs, alcohol, etc. This is the same regardless of the show you might be on.

It just looks like SNL has had more than its fair share of tragedy simply because there have been so MANY cast members over its 30+ lifespan. You could fill a few buses, if not a city hall meeting, with the cast & writing crew.
Some of the deaths were, sadly, forseeable, such as Belushi's and Farley's.
Others, like Phil's, came completely out of left field. But in the long run, comics & actors are like anyone else: subject to cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, depression & drug abuse.

Other TV shows with supposed "curses" include THE ADDAMS FAMILY, MY FAVORITE MARTIAN, BONANZA & GUNSMOKE btw. Not to mention the dreaded OUR GANG curse.

I would recommend your son go to Chicago and try out for Second City if he's really serious about getting on SNL (or any sketch comedy show), either that or go to LA and try out for the Groundlings. That's where most of the performers come from.

B-team said:

I didn't either. Here is a link with his photo. I believe he was the bad guy in Dumb and Dumber (he did not have a beard then).

http://www.ehrensteinland.com/htmls/g007/charlesrocket.html

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He was also in Dances With Wolves. I liked him in that movie, even though the Indians killed him.

Rocket was directly responsible for SNL going to a time-delay format when, following a satirical skit of the "who shot JR" theme from the show Dallas, Rocket uttered the immortal words on national TV, "I wonder who the did it?"
I miss the days of Belushi and Ackroyd....

shadowangel said:

Rocket was directly responsible for SNL going to a time-delay format when, following a satirical skit of the "who shot JR" theme from the show Dallas, Rocket uttered the immortal words on national TV, "I wonder who the did it?"
I miss the days of Belushi and Ackroyd....

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Now they say that word on television all the time, they just bleep over it.

Mabel said:

I never heard of anyone committing suicide by cutting their own throat before.

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I just watched Charlize Theron do it in Devils Advocate yesterday.

To "BillGoatGruff" What is cursed about "The Addams Family"?

Who does from that show?

Tristan said:

To "BillGoatGruff" What is cursed about "The Addams Family"?

Who does from that show?

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The only surviving adult cast member from the show is John Astin--Gomez.

Daisy Rock, who played Grand Mama & Jackie Coogan, who played Uncle Fester, were dead by the early 1970s. Carolyn Jones, who played Morticia (and was Aaron Spelling's 1st wife, BTW) was dead of cancer by the mid-late 70s (and was unrecognizable in her last film, EATEN ALIVE), and Ted Cassidy, who played Lurch/Thing, was dead of a heart attack by 1980. Charles Addams, the creator of the cartoons the series was based on, died pacefully while sitting behind the wheel of his car in NYC, waiting for his wife to finish shopping, in the 1990s. Raul Julia, who played Gomez in the popular movie versions of the series, died trsagically young from cancer in 1994. The little girl who was the original Wednesday spent her teen years as a junkie and a cutter. I think the only cast members to escape "unscathed" were the child actor who played Puglsley and the midget who was Cousin It, who I believe was still alive as of a couple of years ago.

I remember him. How scary this SNL thing. Let me think. John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Danitra Vance, Andy Kaufman, Michael O'Donahue.


not to mention that Dana Carvey had several heart surgeries.... and almost died on the operating table. AND the doctors initially did surgery on his HEALTHY VALVE! UGG.

Did I miss anyone? TOO SAD.

Very Sad. That picture really doesn't look like most would remember him.

He looks strikingly like my ex husband, in fact, when my sister saw "Earth Girls Are Easy" she called me and said, "you have to see this movie because your ex is in it!" That's how I came to see it and now it's a cult classic and a must see. It also stars a young and almost unknown Jim Carey, Damon Wayens and the heavy hitters Jeff Goldblum and Gina Davis. It's funny.

He played a good irritating bad guy character.

Slitting your own throat tho? I can't imagine it.