| Birth Date: | 23 July 1922 |
| Birth Place: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Other Names: | Sidney Lassick |
| Years Active: | 1958–2000 |
| Notable Works: | Charlie Cheswick in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Mr. Fromm in Stephen King's Carrie (1976) Ernest Keller in The Unseen (1980) Luke Gutchel in Alligator (1980) Roscoe in Cool as Ice (1991) |
Sydney Lassick (July 23, 1922 – April 12, 2003) was an American character actor perhaps best known for his role as Charlie Cheswick in the feature film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Lassick's first name was sometimes spelled Sidney.[1] [2]
He was born in Chicago, Illinois,[3] to Russian Jewish immigrants. Lassick, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and afterwards studied drama at DePaul University,[2] began acting in both films and TV shows in the late 1950s.
Lassick is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Charlie Cheswick, a whiny and childish manic depressive patient in the 1975 Academy Award-winning film One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Other memorable roles include a fey Fairy Godfather in the lowbrow Sinderella and the Golden Bra; Mr. Fromm, the spitefully sarcastic English teacher in the 1976 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Carrie; the perverse and abusive innkeeper Ernest Keller in slasher horror The Unseen; the slimy Charlie P. in the cult film Sonny Boy; and the effeminate lackey Gopher in Deep Cover (1992). Lassick also was the voice of Straycatcher #2 in the 1992 animated feature film .
In television, Lassick guest starred on such shows as Eight Is Enough, Baretta, Hawaii Five-O, Barney Miller, Matt Houston, Moonlighting, Night Court, Knots Landing, Dream On and The X-Files.[2] While usually a supporting actor, he played the lead in an episode of Amazing Stories called "Remote Control Man".
Lassick died of Complications of Diabetes at age 80 In Midway Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Lassick was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.[2]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | The Bonnie Parker Story | Scout Master | ||
| 1959 | Paratroop Command | Interpreter | ||
| 1959 | Al Capone | Hot Dog Vendor | Uncredited | |
| 1964 | Sinderella and the Golden Bra | Fairy Godfather | As Sid Lassick | |
| 1975 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Charlie Cheswick | ||
| 1976 | Carrie | Mr. Fromm | ||
| 1977 | The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington | Percy Bowlder | ||
| 1977 | The Billion Dollar Hobo | Mitchell | ||
| 1977 | Bunco | TV Movie | ||
| 1978 | China 9, Liberty 37 | Sheriff's friend | ||
| 1978 | Greatest Heroes of the Bible | King Agadiz | TV mini series | |
| 1979 | The Cracker Factory | Ernie | TV | |
| 1979 | Hot Stuff | Hymie | ||
| 1979 | Skatetown, U.S.A. | Murray | ||
| 1979 | 1941 | Salesman | Uncredited | |
| 1980 | Alligator | Luke Gutchel | As Sidney Lassick | |
| 1980 | The Unseen | Ernest Keller | ||
| 1981 | Applecore Vendor | |||
| 1982 | Pandemonium | Man in Bus Station | ||
| 1982 | Partners | Photo Shoot Assistant | Uncredited | |
| 1982 | Fast-Walking | Ted | ||
| 1982 | Forty Days of Musa Dagh | Osman | ||
| 1984 | Silent Madness | Sheriff Liggett | ||
| 1984 | Night Patrol | Peeping Tom | As Sidney Lassick | |
| 1984 | Monaco Forever | American Tourist | ||
| 1985 | Stitches | Sheldon Mendlebaum | ||
| 1986 | Ratboy | Lee 'Dial-A-Prayer' | ||
| 1987 | Body Slam | Shapiro | ||
| 1988 | Lady in White | Mr. Lowry | ||
| 1988 | The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck | Wolfgang Meyer | ||
| 1989 | Sonny Boy | Charlie P. | ||
| 1989 | Out on Bail | Otis T. Smiley | ||
| 1989 | Curse II: The Bite | George | ||
| 1989 | Tale of Two Sisters | Dad | ||
| 1989 | Judgement | Dr. Henry Silver | ||
| 1990 | Pacific Palisades | Mr. Beer | ||
| 1990 | Smoothtalker | Mr. Nathan | ||
| 1990 | Wishful Thinking | Dr. Harding | ||
| 1991 | Committed | Gow | ||
| 1991 | Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead | Franklin | ||
| 1991 | The Art of Dying | Wallie | ||
| 1991 | Shakes the Clown | Peppy the Clown | ||
| 1991 | Cool as Ice | Roscoe | ||
| 1992 | Deep Cover | Gopher | ||
| 1992 | Judgement | Dr. Henry Silver | ||
| 1992 | Miracle Beach | Tooth Fairy | ||
| 1992 | Straycatcher #2 | Voice | ||
| 1993 | Eye of the Stranger | Oli | ||
| 1993 | Competition Announcer | |||
| 1994 | Future Shock | Mr. Johnson | ||
| 1996 | Freeway | Woody Wilson | ||
| 1996 | Johns | Al | ||
| 1996 | Squanderers | Peter Chisholm | ||
| 1997 | American Vampire | Bruno | ||
| 1999 | Man on the Moon | Crystal Healer | ||
| 2000 | Something to Sing About | Elderly Man | Final film role |