I'm sorry this took so long to post. At first it was because of shock - I never would have pictured Charles Rocket as the type who would take his own life. Actually, I've never been able to comprehend you humans and why you would even consider suicide, especially when by all appearances Life should be considered great.
[Do the google search in the IDD archives and you should find my thoughts on this after the murder of Phil Hartman. It was not one of my finer moments.]
In re-arranging Rocket's Toobworld credits into the usual Hat Squad structure, I kept finding points of interest I wanted to explore further. And the idea of doing more work automatically kicks me into Procrastinator mode.
At any rate......
Charles Rocket had plenty of roles in Toobworld and in the movies. Perhaps his best work in the movies was that of the Cavalry officer in "Dances With Wolves" - a sympathetic role that had nuanced shades of gray.
But unfortunately, Rocket will always be known for this one unscripted moment February 21, 1981:
(Everyone is gathered on stage. Charles Rocket, cigarette in mouth, sits in a wheelchair wearing a robe, with a white bandage on his left clavicle. Host Charlene Tilton holds a pink balloon.)
Charlene Tilton: Charlie, how are you feeling after you've been shot?
Charles Rocket: Aw man, it's the first time I've ever been shot in my life. I'd like to know who th' fuck did it.
(Most of the cast reacts with excited shock.)
Charlene Tilton: Okay! (lets out an excited scream, then kisses Charlie on the cheek. As the closing music plays, everyone waves goodbye, the audience applauds, and the credits start to roll.)
Don Pardo V/O: 'Saturday Night Live' will be back in two weeks, when our host will be Bill Murray. This is Don Pardo saying, I'M the one who shot Charlie Rocket! I caught him fooling around with my wife, the lovely Mrs. Don Pardo. I used a Smith & Wessun 32 which I purchased from the Spiegel catalogue, Chicago 60609. Good night.
Charles Rocket was fired soon after that utterance.
[Thanks to the SNL Transcripts site]
As a former native of the Nutmeg State, I've been in the Canterbury area; there's plenty of lovely countryside. It's a shame it will be marred by the memory that Rocket took his life there.
I just hope that whatever demons tormented him in life, he'll find the afterlife free of such cares; that it will prove to be as peaceful as the fields in which his life ended.
Rocket joins John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Danitra Vance, Phil Hartman, Michael O'Donoghue, and Toonces as 'SNL' players who have passed away.
It would have been too easy to make some kind of Not Ready for Prime Time joke, so I won't.
TV SERIES
'Normal, Ohio' (2000) TV Series .... Danny
'The Home Court' (1995) TV Series .... Judge Gil Fitzpatrick
'Flying Blind' (1992) TV Series .... Dennis Lake (1993)
'Wild Palms' (1993) (mini) TV Series .... Stitch
'Tequila and Bonetti' (1992) TV Series .... Capt. Midian Knight
'Murphy's Law' (1988) TV Series .... Victor Beaudine
'Saturday Night Live' (1975) TV Series .... Various (1980-1981)
TV RECURRING ROLES
'Touched by an Angel' playing 'Adam'
in episode: 'I Will Walk with You: Part 1' (episode # 9.21) 26 April 2003
in episode: 'The Root of All Evil' (episode # 9.13) 25 January 2003
in episode: 'The Sign of the Dove' (episode # 7.21) 22 April 2001
in episode: 'My Dinner with Andrew' (episode # 4.8) 9 November 1997
in episode: 'Fear Not' (episode # 1.9) 25 December 1994
in episode: 'An Unexpected Snow' (episode # 1.7) 7 December 1994
in episode: 'Cassie's Choice' (episode # 1.5) 26 October 1994
in episode: 'Fallen Angela' (episode # 1.4) 19 October 1994
in episode: 'Show Me the Way Home' (episode # 1.2) 28 September 1994
in episode: 'The Southbound Bus' (episode # 1.1) 21 September 1994
'Max Headroom' playing 'Grossberg'
in episode: 'Baby Grobags' (episode # 2.8) 1988
in episode: 'Whackets' (episode # 2.5) 16 November 1987
in episode: 'Grossberg's Return' (episode # 2.3) 2 October 1987
in episode: 'Blipverts' (episode # 1.1) 31 March 1987
'Moonlighting' playing 'Richard Addison'
in episode: 'Those Lips, Those Lies' (episode # 5.8) 2 April 1989
in episode: 'Maddie Hayes Got Married' (episode # 4.12) 1 March 1988
in episode: 'A Trip to the Moon' (episode # 4.1) 29 September 1987
in episode: 'The Straight Poop' (episode # 3.9) 6 January 1987 [uncredited archival footage]
in episode: 'It's a Wonderful Job' (episode # 3.8) 16 December 1986
in episode: 'The Son Also Rises' (episode # 3.1) 23 September 1986
in episode: 'Brother, Can You Spare a Blonde?' (episode # 2.1) 24 September 1985
'The King of Queens'
playing 'Steve' (uncredited) in episode: 'Steve Moscow' (episode # 5.18) 10 March 2003
playing 'Contractor' (uncredited) in episode: 'Golden Moldy' (episode # 5.16) 17 February 2003
[Were they the same character? Only one episode separated them.....]
THE TOONIVERSE
'Kôtetsu tenshi Kurumi' (1999) TV Series (voice: English version) (as Charles Kennedy) .... Dr. Ayanokoji
'Static Shock' playing 'Crewcut' (voice) in episode: 'Shebang' (episode # 3.4) 15 February 2003
'The Zeta Project' playing 'Edwards' (voice) in episode: 'Change of Heart' (episode # 1.4) 17 February 2001
'Batman Beyond' playing 'Donny's Dad' (voice) in episode: 'Hooked Up' (episode # 2.8) 13 November 1999
'Superman' playing 'Used Car Salesman' (voice) in episode: 'Superman's Pal' (episode # 3.8) 20 February 1999
'Batman: Gotham Knights' playing 'Security Guard' (voice) in episode: 'Legends of the Dark Knight' (episode # 2.6) 10 October 1998
'Batman: Gotham Knights' playing 'Frederick Fournier' (voice) in episode: 'Mean Seasons' (episode # 1.9) 25 April 1998
'The New Batman Superman Adventures' playing 'Frederick Fournier' (voice) in episode: 'Mean Seasons' (episode # 1.32) 25 April 1998
'Men in Black: The Series' (voice) in episode: 'The Inanimate Syndrome' (episode # 1.8) 6 December 1997
'Batman: Gotham Knights' playing 'Guru' (voice) in episode: 'Never Fear' (episode # 1.4) 1 October 1997
'The Adventures of Hyperman' playing 'The Oil Slick Monster' (voice) in episode: 'Oceans a Leavin'' (episode # 1.12) 3 February 1996
TV MOVIES
California Girls (1985) (TV) .... Barry
The Steel Collar Man (1985) (TV) .... D5B
The Outlaws (1984) (TV) .... Stanley Flynn
TV-RELATED MOVIES
It's Pat (1994) .... Kyle Jacobs
TV GUEST APPEARANCES
'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' playing 'Donny DePalma' in episode: 'Pas de Deux' (episode # 3.13) 15 February 2004
'3rd Rock from the Sun' playing 'Gary Hemmings' in episode: 'A Dick Replacement' (episode # 6.11) 30 January 2001
'The X Files' playing 'Grant Ellis' in episode: 'Three of a Kind' (episode # 6.20) 2 May 1999
'Star Trek: Voyager' playing 'Jippeq' in episode: 'The Disease' (episode # 5.17) 24 February 1999
'Tracey Takes On...' playing 'Chopper Tim' in episode: 'Road Rage' (episode # 4.8) 17 February 1999
'Cybill' playing 'Charlie Addison' in episode: 'Ka-Boom!' (episode # 4.24) 13 July 1998
'Cybill' playing 'Charlie' in episode: 'Cybill in the Morning' (episode # 4.23) 6 July 1998
'Grace Under Fire' playing 'Davis' in episode: 'Riverboat Queen' (episode # 5.7) 30 December 1997
'Jenny' playing 'Grant' in episode: 'A Girl's Gotta Protect Her Assets' (episode # 1.12)
'The Pretender' playing 'Carl Bishop' in episode: 'To Serve and Protect' (episode # 1.6) 9 November 1996
'Picket Fences' playing 'Chuck Dante' in episode: 'Dante's Inferno' (episode # 4.16) 16 February 1996
'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman' playing 'Ryan Wiley' in episode: 'Operation Blackout' (episode # 2.6) 30 October 1994
'Wings' playing 'Danny' in episode: 'Call of the Wild' (episode # 5.23) 5 May 1994
'Quantum Leap' playing 'Commander Dirk Riker' in episode: 'Leap for Lisa, A - June 25, 1957' (episode # 4.22) 20 May 1992
'Parker Lewis Can't Lose' playing 'Sgt. Jake Melman' in episode: 'Randall Without a Cause' (episode # 1.20) 10 March 1991
'Quantum Leap' playing 'Michael G. Blake' in episode: 'Little Miracle, A - December 24, 1962' (episode # 3.10) 21 December 1990
'Murder, She Wrote' playing 'Lt. Stuyvesant' in episode: 'The Family Jewels' (episode # 7.5) 4 November 1990
'Doctor Doctor' playing 'Charles' in episode: 'The Terminator' (episode # 3.5) 25 October 1990
'thirtysomething' playing 'Ron DeLisle' in episode: 'Going Limp' (episode # 3.22) 1 May 1990
'Miami Vice' playing 'Marty Worthington' in episode: 'Florence Italy' (episode # 2.16) 14 February 1986
'Hardcastle and McCormick' playing 'Bill Bauer' in episode: 'The Yankee Clipper' (episode # 3.3) 7 October 1985
'Remington Steele' playing 'Peter Gillespie' in episode: 'Have I Got a Steele for You' (episode # 3.14) 22 January 1985
'Hawaiian Heat' playing 'Donald' in episode: 'Picture Imperfect' (episode # 1.10) 21 December 1984
BCnU......
Tele-Toby
Thank you for nt making a joke. I was a fan of Rocket's and know that there are many more like me out there who will miss him greatly. I guess we may never know why he took his life but hopefully he has found peace now.
ReplyDeleteOn 30 Oct 06 I had only just watched him in Quantum Leap : A Little Miracle. He was so young looking & I didn't know who he was so I went to look him up on imbd only to discover sadly that he had committed suicide. It was even more shocking to read the manner in which he took his life. Cutting your own throat tells the rest of us something was very seriously wrong with Charlie. Suicide is when a person is in so much psychological pain that they just can't take anymore.
ReplyDeleteCharlie taking his life the way he did shows he was in so much emotional pain. His anger & hate was against himself. His took his rage & anger out on himself & it was just too much for him to bear.
In the end it was what happened on SNL all those years ago that got to him.( there were other factors).
( dont believe me -click on url/name)
There's just no way I'll ever forget Charlie Rocket now & I pray that he's finally at peace.
yasmin