Thursday, October 13, 2011

CHARLES NAPIER - Star Trek Hippie & Hannibal Lecter Victim


Veteran character actor Charles Napier, whose career ranged from "hero" in Russ Meyer's sexploitation classics, to Hannibal Lecter's victim in "Silence of the Lambs", died in a Bakersfield, California, hospital on October 5, 2011. He was 75. Napier was born in Scottsville, Kentucky, on April 12, 1936. He began his career in the late 1960s, and was noted for his roles in such cult exploitation classics as "Cherry, Harry & Raquel!" (1970), "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (1970), and "Supervixens" (1975) for director Russ Meyer. His numerous film credits also include "The Hanging Jake Ellis" (1969), "The Seven Minutes" (1971), "Love and Kisses" (1971), "Moonfire" (1973), "Thunder and Lightning" (1977), "Handle With Care" (1977), "Last Embrace" (1979), "The Blues Brothers" (1980) as dim-witted country singer Tucker McElroy, "Melvin and Howard" (1980), "Wacko" (1982), "China Lake" (1983), "In Search of a Golden Sky" (1984), "Swing Shift" (1984), "Rambo: First Blood Part II" (1985) as the villain Murdock, "Instant Justice" (1986), "Something Wild" (1986), "The Night Stalker" (1987), "Camping del Terrore" (1987), "Deep Space" (1988), "Married to the Mob" (1988), "Hit List" (1989), "Alien from the Deep" (1989), "One Man Force" (1989), "The Last Match" (1990), "Cop Target" (1990), "After the Condor" (1990), "Dragonfight" (1990), "Ernest Goes to Jail" (1990), "Miami Blues" (1990), "Future Zone" (1990), "Maniac Cop 2" (1990), "The Grifters" (1990), "Killer Instinct" (1991), "Under Surveillance" (1991)
 "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) as Hannibal Lecter victim Lt. Bill Boyle, "Indio 2 - La Rivolta" (1991), "Soldier’s Fortune" (1991), "Lonely Hearts" (1991), "Frogtown II" (1992), "Center of the Web" (1992), "Mean Tricks" (1992), "Eyes of the Beholder" (1992), "National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1" (1993), "Skeeter" (1993), "Philadelphia" (1993) as Judge Garnett, "Silent Fury" (1994), "Body Shot" (1994), "To Die, To Sleep" (1994), "Silk Degrees" (1994), "Raw Justice" (1994), "Savage Land" (1994), "Fatal Choice" (1995), "Felony" (1995), "Hard Justice" (1995), "Ripper Man" (1995), "3 Ninjas Knuckle Up" (1995), "Jury Duty" (1995), "Ballistic" (1995), "Alien Species" (1996), "Billy Lone Bear" (1996), "Expert Witness" (1996), "Original Gangstas" (1996), "The Cable Guy" (1996), "No Small Ways" (1997), "Macon County Jail" (1997), "Riot" (1997), "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (1997), "Steel" (1997), "Centurion Force" (1998), "Armstrong" (1998), "Second Chances" (1998), "Beloved" (1998), "Los Gringos" (1999), "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" (1999), "The Big Tease" (1999), "Pirates of the Plain" (1999), "Lima: Breaking the Silence" (1999), "Never Look Back" (2000), "Cypress Edge" (2000), "Very Mean Men" (2000), "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" (2000), "The Thief and the Stripper" (2000), "Forgive Me Father" (2001), "The Hunter’s Moon" (2001), "Down ‘n Dirty" (2001), "Extreme Honor" (2001), "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (2002) as the voice of Roy, "Dinocroc" (2004), "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004), "Lords of Dogtown" (2005), "Suits On the Loose" (2005), "The Kid & I" (2005), "Annapolis" (2006), "Your Name Here" (2008), "bgFATLdy" (2008), "One-Eyed Monster" (2008), "The River Bridge" (2008), "Shadowheart" (2009), "Life Blood" (2009), and "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" (2009). Napier appeared frequently on television from the 1960s. He was featured as Adam, an alien hippie, in the 1969 "Star Trek" episode "The Way to Eden". he was also seen in episodes of "Mannix", "Hogan’s Heroes", "Mission: Impossible", "Kojak", "The Streets of San Francisco", "Baretta", "The Rookies", "Black Sheep Squadron", "Delvecchio", "The Rockford Files", "The Oregon Trail" as Luther Sprague in 1977, "Starsky and Hutch", "B.J. and the Bear" in the recurring role of Hammer, "Walking Tall", "Concrete Cowboys", "Private Benjamin", "The Incredible Hulk", "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", "Knight Rider", "Simon & Simon", "CHiPs", "Tales of the Gold Monkey", "Dallas" in the recurring role of Carl Daggett, "Gun Shy", "The Dukes of Hazzard", "Night Court", "Wiz Kids", "The A-Team", "Street Hawk", the sci-fi western "Outlaws" as Wolfson Lucus in 1986, "Guns Of Paradise", "L.A. Law", "The Golden Palace", "Renegade", "Coach", "Rebel Highway", "Murder, She Wrote", "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman", "Hudson Street", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", "Pacific Blue", "George & Leo", "Party of Five", "The Magician", "Walker, Texas Ranger", "Roswell", "Diagnosis Murder", "The Practice", "Son of the Beach", "The 4400", "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", "Monk", "Curb Your Enthusiasm", and "Cold Case". He also appeared in the tele-films "Alien Attack" (1976), "Ransom for Alice!" (1977), "Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus" (1978), "Gridlock" (1980), "The Blue and the Gray" (1982), "The Outlaws" (1984), "The Cartier Affair" (1984), "The Incredible Hulk Returns" (1988), "War and Remembrance" (1989), "Treacherous Crossing" (1992), "John Carpenter Presents Body Bags" (1996), " Max Is Missing" (1995), "Trash" (2003), and "Fielder’s Choice" (2005). Napier was also a popular voice actor in animated productions, with roles in "The Critic" as Duke Phillips, "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest", "Jumanji", "Superman" as General Hardcastle, "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command", "Men in Black: The Series" as Zed, "God, the Devil and Bob", "The Legend of Tarzan", "The Mummy: Secrets of the Medjai", "Justice League", "The Simpsons", "The Batman", "Squidbillies", "Ned’s Declassified", "School Survival Guide", and "Archer". His autobiography, "Square Jaw and Big Heart", was released earlier in 2011.


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