Charles Adams Claverie (August 28, 1949 – October 7, 2005), known by stage names Charlie Hamburger, Charlie Kennedy and Charles Rocket, was an American actor, comedian, musician, and television news reporter. He was a cast member on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
,'' played the villain Nicholas Andre in the film ''
Dumb and Dumber
''Dumb and Dumber'' is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the ''Dumb and Dumber'' franchise. Starring Jim Carrey a ...
'', and played Dave Dennison in Disney's ''
Hocus Pocus''.
Early life
Rocket was born in
Bangor, Maine
Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121).
Modern Bangor ...
, the son of Mary Aurelia ( Fogler) and Sumner Abbott "Ham" Claverie. He attended the
Rhode Island School of Design
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...
(RISD) in the late 1960s and was part of the
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
underground culture scene in the 1970s that also included
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talki ...](_blank)
frontman
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
and film director
Gus Van Sant.
Career
Rocket made several
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
s and fronted his band, the Fabulous Motels, on
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
(which he used in an ''SNL'' sketch about a crazed criminal who uses an accordion to kill his dates and is killed himself by a bagpipe band). He was then a
news anchor
A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...
at
WPRI-TV
WPRI-TV (channel 12) is a television station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to dual Fox/ CW affiliate WNAC-TV (channel 64) ...
in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
and at
KOAA-TV
KOAA-TV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Pueblo, Colorado, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Colorado Springs area. It is owned by E.W. Scripps Company alongside low-power Ion Mystery owned-and-operated stati ...
in
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo County, Colorado ...
under his own name, and
WTVF
WTVF (channel 5) is a television station in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Ion Television owned-and-operated station WNPX-TV (channel 28). WTVF's studios are locate ...
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
under the name Charles Kennedy. He made his network debut on ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1980, using the name Charles Rocket.
''Saturday Night Live''
Rocket was cast for the
1980–81 season, which followed the departure of the remaining members of the show's original cast and executive producer
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian-American producer, screenwriter, and comedian. He is best known for creating and producing ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and producing the '' La ...
.
[ Singled out by new executive producer ]Jean Doumanian
Jean Doumanian ( Karabas; born July 28, 1936) is an American stage, television and film producer. She briefly produced ''Saturday Night Live'', between November 1980 and March 1981.
Early life
Doumanian was born Jean (or Jeannine) Karabas, th ...
, he was promoted as a cross between Bill Murray
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on ''Saturday Nigh ...
and Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
. Rocket was tapped to anchor ''Weekend Update
''Weekend Update'' is a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch and satirical news program that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest-running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typic ...
'', and was featured in more sketches than any other male cast member that season with the exception of Joe Piscopo
Joseph Charles John Piscopo ( ; born June 17, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and conservative radio talk show host. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1980 to 1984, where he played a variety of recurring characters. His f ...
.
Rocket portrayed recurring character Phil Lively, a game show host who took his larger-than-life persona home and treated life as if it were a game show. His celebrity impersonations on ''SNL'' included Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
, David Rockefeller
David Rockefeller (June 12, 1915 – March 20, 2017) was an American investment banker who served as chairman and chief executive of Chase Manhattan Corporation. He was the oldest living member of the third generation of the Rockefeller family, ...
, Prince Charles, and Marlin Perkins
Richard Marlin Perkins (March 28, 1905 – June 14, 1986) was an American zoology, zoologist. He was best known as a host of the television program ''Wild Kingdom, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom'' from 1963 to 1985.
Life and career
Perkin ...
. He also hosted "The Rocket Report”, a series of filmed segments where he posed as a roving reporter around New York, which reviewers in later years mentioned as one of the few consistently strong parts of Doumanian's shows.
Dismissal
The ''Saturday Night Live'' episode of February 21, 1981, hosted by ''Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'' star Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing, the niece of brothers J. R. Ewing and Bobby Ewing (played by Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy), on the television ser ...
, featured a parody of the famed " Who shot J.R.?" story arc from the popular nighttime soap. During the show a plot line had Rocket and Tilton flirting while other cast members expressed jealousy, leading to Rocket being shot in the chest by a sniper in the middle of a sketch. In the show's closing moments, as cast members gathered with the host to say good night, Tilton asked Rocket how he felt about being shot. In character, Rocket replied "Oh man, it's the first time I've ever been shot in my life. I'd like to know who fuckin' did it."
Due partially to the violation of broadcast standards, along with negative press regarding the new cast and declining ratings for both the series and the network in general, NBC replaced Doumanian with Dick Ebersol after one further episode. Ebersol, who placed the show on hiatus for a month to retool, dismissed Rocket, along with several of the writers and fellow cast members Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous r ...
and Ann Risley
Anna F. "Ann" Risley (born September 30, 1949, Madison, Wisconsin) is a retired American actress and comedian. She was a cast member of the TV series ''Saturday Night Live'' for the 12 episodes of the 1980–1981 season. These 12 broadcasts were t ...
, before the next episode. A writers' strike led to the suspension of the rest of the season, and when the show returned in October 1981, Joe Piscopo
Joseph Charles John Piscopo ( ; born June 17, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and conservative radio talk show host. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1980 to 1984, where he played a variety of recurring characters. His f ...
and Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
were the only cast members who were held over from Doumanian's era. ''Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live'' revealed that Rocket was particularly hostile toward Murphy and Piscopo, as Doumanian had set him, Denny Dillon
Denise Dillon (born May 18, 1951) is an American actress and comedian best known for starring as Toby Pedalbee on the HBO comedy '' Dream On'' from 1990 to 1996. Dillon was first known for her stage work and was nominated for a Tony Award on Br ...
, and Gail Matthius
Gail Matthius (born December 14, 1953) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member of NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' during its critical and ratings low point at the time (the 1980–1981 season, produced by Jean Doumanian), and ...
to be the show's biggest stars, only to have all three receive mixed-to-negative reviews about their performances and to have Murphy and Piscopo upstage them.
Post-''SNL'' career
Rocket recovered from this early-career setback and worked steadily in film, with roles in such movies as '' Hocus Pocus'', ''Earth Girls Are Easy
''Earth Girls Are Easy'' is a 1988 American science fiction musical romantic comedy film that was produced by Tony Garnett, Duncan Henderson, and Terrence E. McNally and was directed by Julien Temple. The film stars Geena Davis, Julie Brown, C ...
'', ''It's Pat
''It's Pat'' is a 1994 American slapstick comedy film directed by Adam Bernstein and starring Julia Sweeney, Dave Foley, Charles Rocket, and Kathy Griffin. The film was based on the '' Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') character Pat, created by S ...
'', ''Steal Big Steal Little
''Steal Big Steal Little'' is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Andy García in dual roles. It also features Alan Arkin and Joe Pantoliano.
Plot
Mild-mannered, unassuming Ruben Martinez has a slick, unscrupulous t ...
'', ''How I Got into College
''How I Got Into College'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Savage Steve Holland, starring Anthony Edwards, Corey Parker, and Lara Flynn Boyle and produced & released by 20th Century Fox. This is the film debut of eventual ...
'', ''Dances with Wolves
''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel ''Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the s ...
'', and ''Dumb and Dumber
''Dumb and Dumber'' is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the ''Dumb and Dumber'' franchise. Starring Jim Carrey a ...
'', often playing comic foils.
On television, in addition to guest spots on several 1980s sitcoms, Rocket played antagonist network president Ned Grossberg
''Max Headroom'' is an American satirical science fiction television series by Chrysalis Visual Programming and Lakeside Productions for Lorimar-Telepictures that aired in the United States on ABC from March 31, 1987, to May 5, 1988. The serie ...
on the cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...
series ''Max Headroom
Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. Advertised as "the first computer-generated TV presenter", Max was known for his biting commentary on a variety of topical issues, arrogant wit, ...
'', Richard Addison (brother to Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...
's David Addison) on the comedy-drama ''Moonlighting
Moonlighting may refer to:
* Side job
A side job, also informally called a side hustle or side gig, is an additional job that a person takes in addition to their primary job in order to supplement their income. Side jobs may be done out of nec ...
'', and Adam, an angel of death, on ''Touched by an Angel
''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced ...
''. He later guest starred in the T.V. series ''Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'' as long time friend to Brian Hackett, Danny. Rocket also appeared in a season six episode of '' 3rd Rock From The Sun'' as a physics professor, Grant.
In addition to his acting work, Rocket played accordion on the David Byrne-produced B-52's
The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, p ...
album ''Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
''on the track "Loveland", and the album ''Amarcord Nino Rota'' on the track "La Dolce Vita Suite", produced by Saturday Night Live music coordinator Hal Willner
Hal Willner (April 6, 1956 – April 7, 2020) was an American music producer working in recording, films, television, and live events. He was best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical sty ...
.
He also provided the voice of Leo Lionheart Jr. in the "MGM Sing-Alongs" videos in 1996.
Personal life
Rocket married his college girlfriend, Beth Crellin, on board the battleship USS ''Massachusetts'' anchored in Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
, in 1972. Their son, Zane, was born in 1976.
Death
Rocket was found dead in a field on his Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
property on October 7, 2005, with his throat slit. He was 56 years old. Ten days later, the state medical examiner
The medical examiner is an appointed official in some American jurisdictions who is trained in pathology that investigates deaths that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictio ...
ruled the death as suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
. The police investigation determined that there was no criminal aspect to the case.
Filmography
* 1984 ''The Outlaws'' as Stanley Flynn
* 1985 ''Fraternity Vacation
''Fraternity Vacation'' is a 1985 American sex comedy teen movie starring Stephen Geoffreys as a nerdy pledge to the Theta Pi Gamma fraternity at Iowa State, with Tim Robbins and Cameron Dye as Theta Pi Gamma frat boys (or, as they are known to ...
'' as 'Madman' Mac
* 1986 ''Miracles
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
'' as Michael
* 1987 ''Down Twisted
''Down Twisted'' is a 1987 thriller film, directed by Albert Pyun, starring Carey Lowell, Charles Rocket, Courteney Cox, Norbert Weisser, Linda Kerridge, Trudi Dochtermann and Nicholas Guest.
Plot
A naïve, good-hearted Los Angeles waitress d ...
'' as Reno
* 1988 ''Earth Girls Are Easy
''Earth Girls Are Easy'' is a 1988 American science fiction musical romantic comedy film that was produced by Tony Garnett, Duncan Henderson, and Terrence E. McNally and was directed by Julien Temple. The film stars Geena Davis, Julie Brown, C ...
'' as Dr. Ted Gallagher
* 1989 ''How I Got Into College
''How I Got Into College'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Savage Steve Holland, starring Anthony Edwards, Corey Parker, and Lara Flynn Boyle and produced & released by 20th Century Fox. This is the film debut of eventual ...
'' as Leo Whitman
* 1990 ''Honeymoon Academy
''Honeymoon Academy'' (also titled ''For Better or for Worse'') is a 1989 American comedy-drama film starring Robert Hays and Kim Cattrall. It was directed by Gene Quintano and was filmed in Spain.
Plot
During their honeymoon, a secret agent (Ki ...
'' as DeBains
* 1990 ''Dances with Wolves
''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel ''Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the s ...
'' as Lieutenant Elgin
* 1991 ''Delirious
Delirious may refer to:
* A state of delirium
Film and television
* Delirious (1991 film), ''Delirious'' (1991 film), an American comedy directed by Tom Mankiewicz, starring John Candy
* Delirious (2006 film), ''Delirious'' (2006 film), an Americ ...
'' as Ty Hedison
* 1993 '' Brainsmasher... A Love Story'' as Detective Jones
* 1993 '' Hocus Pocus'' as Dave
* 1993 ''Short Cuts
''Short Cuts'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver. The film has a Los Angeles setting, whic ...
'' as Wally Littleton
* 1994 ''It's Pat
''It's Pat'' is a 1994 American slapstick comedy film directed by Adam Bernstein and starring Julia Sweeney, Dave Foley, Charles Rocket, and Kathy Griffin. The film was based on the '' Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') character Pat, created by S ...
'' as Kyle Jacobsen
* 1994 ''Wagons East
A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people.
Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...
'' as General Larchmont
* 1994 ''Dumb and Dumber
''Dumb and Dumber'' is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the ''Dumb and Dumber'' franchise. Starring Jim Carrey a ...
'' as Nicholas Andre
* 1995 ''Steal Big Steal Little
''Steal Big Steal Little'' is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Andy García in dual roles. It also features Alan Arkin and Joe Pantoliano.
Plot
Mild-mannered, unassuming Ruben Martinez has a slick, unscrupulous t ...
'' as Sheriff Otis
* 1995 ''Charlie's Ghost Story
''Charlie's Ghost Story'', also known as ''Charlie's Ghost: The Secret of Coronado'', is a 1995 American adventure-comedy film directed by Anthony Edwards, at his directorial debut. Based on a story by Mark Twain, it stars Cheech Marin, Trenton Kn ...
'' as Van Leer
* 1995 ''Tom and Huck
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
'' as Judge Thatcher
* 1997 ''Murder at 1600
''Murder at 1600'' is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Dwight Little and starring Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane.
Plot
In a restroom in the White House, a janitor finds secretary Carla Town dead. Metropolitan Police homicide detect ...
'' as Jeffrey
* 1997 ''Fathers' Day
Father's Day is a holiday of honoring fatherhood and paternal bonds, as well as the influence of fathers in society. In Catholic countries of Europe, it has been celebrated on 19 March as Saint Joseph's Day since the Middle Ages. In the Unite ...
'' as Russ Trainor
* 1997 ''The Killing Grounds'' as Mel Desordo
* 1998 ''Dry Martini'' as Sam
* 1999 ''Carlo's Wake'' as Derek Donovan
* 2000 ''Titan A.E.
''Titan A.E.'' is a 2000 American animated science fiction film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, and starring Matt Damon, Bill Pullman, John Leguizamo, Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo and Drew Barrymore. Its title refers to the spacecraft ...
'' as Firrikash / Slave Trader Guard (voice)
* 2000 ''Tex, the Passive-Aggressive Gunslinger'' as Bart
* 2002 ''New Suit'' as Del Strontium
* 2002 ''Bleach'' (Short film) as Reverend Jim
* 2003 '' Shade'' as Tony 'Tony D'
* 2004 '' Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light'' as Narrator (final film role)
* 2008 ''Fly Me to the Moon
"Fly Me to the Moon", originally titled "In Other Words", is a song written in 1954 by Bart Howard. The first recording of the song was made in 1954 by Kaye Ballard. Frank Sinatra's 1964 version was closely associated with the Apollo missions ...
'' as Mission Control 1961 (posthumous release)
Television
* 1980-1981 ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' (Season 6; 12 episodes) as Various Roles / Weekend Update Anchor / Saturday Night Newsline Anchor
* 1982 ''TV Party
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
'' (1 episode)
* 1983 '' I Do, I Don't'' (1 episode)
* 1984 ''The Investigators'' as Truman Knuman, Anchorman
* 1984 ''Hawaiian Heat
''Hawaiian Heat'' is an American drama television series. It starred Robert Ginty and Jeff McCracken. The series aired on ABC from September 14 to December 21, 1984.
Overview
It starred Robert Ginty and Jeff McCracken as two Chicago cops wh ...
'' (1 episode) as Donald
* 1985 ''Steel Collar Man'' (1 episode) as D5B
* 1985 ''Remington Steele
''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from Oc ...
'' (1 episode) as Peter Gillespie
* 1985 ''California Girls
"California Girls" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album, '' Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)''. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the lyrics detail an appreciation for women across the world and a wish ...
'' (TV movie) as Barry
* 1985 ''Hardcastle and McCormick
''Hardcastle and McCormick'' is an American action crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 18, 1983, through May 5, 1986. The series stars Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and rac ...
'' (1 episode) as Bill Bauer
* 1985-1989 ''Moonlighting
Moonlighting may refer to:
* Side job
A side job, also informally called a side hustle or side gig, is an additional job that a person takes in addition to their primary job in order to supplement their income. Side jobs may be done out of nec ...
'' (6 episodes) as Richard Addison
* 1986 ''Miami Vice
''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...
'' (1 episode) as Marty Worthington
* 1987-1988 ''Max Headroom
Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. Advertised as "the first computer-generated TV presenter", Max was known for his biting commentary on a variety of topical issues, arrogant wit, ...
'' (4 episodes) as Grossberg
* 1988-1989 '' Murphy's Law'' (Unknown episodes) as Victor Beaudine
* 1990 ''thirtysomething
''Thirtysomething'' is an American drama television series created by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz for United Artists Television (under MGM/UA Television) and aired on ABC from September 29, 1987, to May 28, 1991."The 'don't trust any ...
'' (1 episode) as Ron DeLisle
* 1990 '' Doctor Doctor'' (1 episode) as Charles
* 1990 ''Murder, She Wrote
''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'' (1 episode) as Lieutenant Stuyvesant
* 1990-1992 ''Quantum Leap
''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...
'' (2 episodes) as Commander Dirk Riker / Michael G. Blake
* 1991 ''Parker Lewis Can't Lose
''Parker Lewis Can't Lose'' is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on Fox from September 1990 to June 1993. It was produced by Clyde Phillips Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television. During the last season, the s ...
'' (1 episode) as Sergeant Jake Melman
* 1992 ''Tequila and Bonetti
''Tequila and Bonetti'' is an American crime comedy-drama television series starring Jack Scalia. The series originally aired on CBS, as a mid-season replacement, from January 17, 1992 to April 17, 1992, with only 10 of the 12 episodes aired. It w ...
'' (11 episodes) as Captain Midian Knight
* 1993 '' Flying Blind'' (5 episodes) as Dennis Lake
* 1993 '' Wild Palms'' (3 episodes) as Stitch
* 1994 ''Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'' (1 episode) as Danny
* 1994 '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1 episode) as Ryan Wiley
* 1994-2003 ''Touched by an Angel
''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced ...
'' (10 episodes) as Adam
* 1995-1996 ''The Home Court
''The Home Court'' is an American sitcom that aired from September 30, 1995, to June 22, 1996, on NBC. The series starred Pamela Reed as a judge and mother who tried to juggle her home and professional lives.
''The Home Court'' was a production ...
'' (20 episodes) as Judge Gil Fitzpatrick
* 1996 ''The Adventures of Hyperman'' (1 episode) as The Oil Slick Monster
* 1996 ''Picket Fences
''Picket Fences'' is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS televis ...
'' (1 episode) as Chuck Dante
* 1996 '' The Pretender'' (1 episode) as Carl Bishop
* 1997 '' Men in Black: The Series'' (1 episode)
* 1997 ''Grace Under Fire
''Grace Under Fire'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993, to February 17, 1998. The show starred Brett Butler as a single mother learning how to cope with raising her three children alone after finally divorcing her ...
'' (1 episode) as Davis
* 1997-1998 ''The New Batman Adventures
''The New Batman Adventures'' (often shortened as ''TNBA'') is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bro ...
'' (3 episodes) as Security Guard / Rob the Mutant / Frederick Fournier / Henchman / Guru / Fearless Man (voice)
* 1998 ''Jenny
Jenny may refer to:
* Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people
* Jenny (surname), a family name
Animals
* Jenny (donkey), a female donkey
* Jenny (gorilla), the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of ...
'' (1 episode) as Grant
* 1998 ''Cybill
''Cybill'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995, to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the show revolves around the life of Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of tw ...
'' (2 episodes) as Charlie Addison
* 1999 '' Tracey Takes On...'' (1 episode) as Chopper Tim
* 1999 '' Superman: The Animated Series'' (1 episode) as Used Car Salesman (voice)
* 1999 '' Star Trek: Voyager'' (episode, "The Disease
"The Disease" is the 111th episode of the science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Voyager'', the 17th episode of the fifth season. The episode focuses on a plot with Harry Kim (played by Garrett Wang) as '' USS Voyager'' encounters a un ...
") as Jippeq
* 1999 ''The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'' (episode, " Three of a Kind) as Grant Ellis
* 1999 ''Batman Beyond
''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
'' (1 episode) as Donny's Dad (voice)
* 2000 ''Normal, Ohio
''Normal, Ohio'' is an American television sitcom aired on Fox in 2000. The show stars John Goodman as William "Butch" Gamble, a gay man returning to his Midwestern home town. The cast also includes Joely Fisher, Anita Gillette, Orson Bean, Mo G ...
'' (7 episodes) as Danny
* 2001 '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1 episode) as Gary
* 2001 ''The Zeta Project
''The Zeta Project'' is an American science fiction animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It first aired on Kids' WB in January 2001. It is a spin-off series based on the character Zeta from the '' Batman Beyond'' episo ...
'' (1 episode) as Edwards
* 2002 ''Greg the Bunny
''Greg the Bunny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on Fox in 2002. It starred Seth Green and a hand puppet named Greg the Bunny, originally invented by the team of Sean S. Baker, Spencer Chinoy and Dan Milano. Milano and ...
'' (1 episode) as Don Dinkins
* 2003 ''Static Shock
''Static Shock'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero List of animated television series, animated television series based on the Milestone Media/DC Comics superhero Static (DC Comics), Static. It premiered on September 23, 2000, on the W ...
'' (1 episode) as Crewcut
* 2003 ''The King of Queens
''The King of Queens'' is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, a total of nine seasons and 207 episodes. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who also served as the show ...
'' (1 episode) as Steve
* 2004 ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent
''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...
'' (1 episode) as Donny DePalma
Video Games
* 2002 '' Age of Mythology'' as Ajax
* 2001 '' Star Wars: Starfighter'' as Nym
* 2002 '' Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter'' as Nym
Music videos
* 1989 "Yer So Bad
"Yer So Bad" is a song co-written and recorded by Tom Petty. It was released in 1990 as the fifth single from his first solo album '' Full Moon Fever''.
Content
It tells from the singer's viewpoint about his greedy sister being lucky enough t ...
" by Tom Petty
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...
* 1991 "King of the Hill" by Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...
with Tom Petty
* 1997 "Good Year" by The Refreshments
Notes
Bibliography
*Hill, Doug and Weingrad, Jeff (1986). ''Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live''. New York, Beech Tree Books/William Morrow. .
External links
*
*
*
Obituary for Charles Rocket
''Variety''. October 10, 2005.
* Phillipe and Jorge, ''Providence Phoenix''. October 14, 2005.
* Jim Emerson, RogerEbert.com. October 17, 2005.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocket, Charles
1949 births
2005 deaths
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Actors from Providence, Rhode Island
American sketch comedians
American male journalists
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male video game actors
American male voice actors
American television journalists
Male actors from Maine
People from Bangor, Maine
Rhode Island School of Design alumni
Suicides by sharp instrument in the United States
Suicides in Connecticut
Deaths from bleeding
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American comedians
2005 suicides