Glenn Shadix
William Glenn Shadix (April 15, 1952 – September 7, 2010) was an American film and television actor known for his role as Otho in Tim Burton's horror comedy film Beetlejuice and as the voice of the Mayor of Halloween Town in The Nightmare Before Christmas.[2]
Glenn Shadix | |
|---|---|
 Shadix in 2004 | |
| Born | William Glenn Shadix April 15, 1952 Bessemer, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | September 7, 2010 (aged 58) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Blunt trauma following a fall |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1981–2010 |
| Spouse(s) | Jon Jung[1] |
Early life
Shadix was born in Bessemer, Alabama. His surname was legally changed to "Scott" when his mother, Annie Ruth (née Livingston), remarried a few years after his birth,[3] although he would use his original surname when working as an actor. He attended Birmingham–Southern College for two years, studying with absurdist playwright-director Arnold Powell.[4]
Career
He lived in Manhattan, New York City prior to moving to Hollywood in 1977. He got his breakthrough film role in Beetlejuice as interior decorator Otho, while appearing in The Groundlings comedy troupe and performing in the stage play Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights, portraying Gertrude Stein.[5] Beetlejuice filmmaker Tim Burton went on to cast Shadix in 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes. Throughout the 1990s he had small roles on iconic television shows, including Cheers, Roseanne, Seinfeld and The Golden Girls.[6]
In 1995, Shadix was cast as Ray Cathode in the Space Mountain queue advertisements when the ride was sponsored by FedEx.
In 2005, Shadix was cast as the voices of the Brain and Monsieur Mallah in season five of the Teen Titans animated series. His other voice work includes the aforementioned Nightmare, and episodes of Jackie Chan Adventures and Justice League Unlimited (where he played Tobias Whale and Steven Mandragora). He reprised his Nightmare Before Christmas role in the video game The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge, and the Square Enix video game Kingdom Hearts II.
His television work included the HBO drama Carnivàle, the NBC television comedy Seinfeld, in which he played Jerry's landlord, and playing the roles of giant brothers Typhoon and Typhon in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. On stage, Shadix was set to begin rehearsals for a Birmingham production of Alan Bennett's History Boys. He also recorded a promo for Red Bar Radio.
Personal life
Shadix was openly gay throughout his life. According to an interview with the Truth Wins Out website, he came out to his parents at the age of 17. They then enrolled him in "ex-gay therapy", which included shock treatments. When this failed to change his orientation, he attempted suicide by overdosing with Elavil. His parents rushed him to a hospital, where he survived a three-day coma. After the incident, his parents began to accept his sexuality.[7][8]
In 2007, after spending 30 years in Los Angeles, he retired to his native Bessemer, Alabama, where he purchased a Queen Anne-style, Victorian-era home. The house was completely destroyed in a fire on December 13, 2008. Shadix told reporters, "I have lost my dream."[9]
Death
On September 7, 2010, according to Shadix's sister, Susan Gagne, he fell in the kitchen at his condominium in Birmingham, Alabama, and died of blunt trauma to his head. Shadix had mobility problems and was in a wheelchair.[2][10]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Postman Always Rings Twice | Twin Oaks Customer | |
| 1988 | Beetlejuice | Otho | |
| 1988 | Sunset | Roscoe Arbuckle | |
| 1989 | Heathers | Father Ripper | |
| 1989 | Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon | Chet | TV movie |
| 1990 | Meet the Applegates | Greg Samson | |
| 1991 | Bingo | Duke | |
| 1992 | Sleepwalkers | Mr. Fallows | |
| 1993 | Demolition Man | Associate Bob | |
| 1993 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | Mayor of Halloween Town (voice) | [11] |
| 1994 | Dark Side of Genius | Leon Bennini | |
| 1994 | My Summer Story | Leopold Doppler, Manager of Orpheum Theater | |
| 1994 | Love Affair | Anthony Rotundo | |
| 1995 | Dunston Checks In | Lionel Spalding | |
| 1996 | Multiplicity | Building Inspector | |
| 1996 | The Empty Mirror | Hermann Göring | |
| 1997 | Men | Neil | |
| 1997 | Sparkler | Announcer | |
| 1998 | Chairman of the Board | Larry | |
| 1999 | Storm | Nate | Direct-to-video |
| 1999 | Bartok the Magnificent | Townspeople (voice)[11] | Direct-to-video |
| 2000 | Red Dirt | Virgil Cunningham | |
| 2000 | More Dogs Than Bones | Geoff | |
| 2001 | Fast Sofa | Apartment Manager | |
| 2001 | Planet of the Apes | Senator Nado | |
| 2001 | Shut Yer Dirty Little Mouth! | Peter | |
| 2002 | The Day the Dolls Struck Back | Narrator (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2003 | Sol Goode | Casting Director | |
| 2003 | Rose's | Sheriff Winslow | |
| 2004 | To Kill a Mockumentary | Karl | Direct-to-video |
| 2007 | The Final Curtain | Jack Strong | |
| 2009 | Tom Cool | ||
| 2010 | Finding Gauguin | Monsieur Vollard | |
| 2011 | The Little Engine That Could | Arkana (voice) | Direct-to-video, (final film role) |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Golden Girls | Musician | Episode: "Diamond in the Rough | |
| 1990 | Roseanne | Jay | Episode: "Chicken Hearts" | |
| 1991 | Seinfeld | Harold | Episode: "The Apartment" | |
| 1992 | Night Court | Dermot Drake | Episode: "The 1992 Boat Show" | |
| 1992 | Cheers | Bernard | Episode: "The Beer Is Always Greener" | |
| 1993 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Ralph Scorpius | Episode: "Hex and the Single Guy" | |
| 1994 | Dinosaurs | Ray / Monster (voices) | 2 Episodes | |
| 1994–1995 | Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills | Nimbar | 40 Episodes | [11] |
| 1994 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Guard Monster (voice) | Episode: "Monsters, Get Real/Snorched If You Do, Snorched If You Don't" | [11] |
| 1995–1996 | The Mask: Animated Series | Lonnie the Shark (voice) | 4 Episodes | |
| 1995 | Bobby's World | Additional voices | Episode: "Bobby the Genius" | |
| 1995 | Life with Louie | Additional voices | Episode: "Lake Winnibigoshish" | |
| 1996 | Quack Pack | Professor Tobar / Dr. Emile (voices) | 2 Episodes | |
| 1996–1998 | The Fantastic Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor | Additional voices | 26 Episodes | |
| 1997 | What a Cartoon! | Doctor (voice) | Episode: "Snoot's New Squat" | [11] |
| 1997 | Duckman | Army Leader Guest (voice) | Episode: "Duckman and Cornfed in 'Haunted Society Plumbers'"" | |
| 1997 | Extreme Ghostbusters | Mirror Demon (voice) | Episode: "The Ghostmakers" | |
| 1997–1998 | The New Adventures of Zorro | Additional voices | 26 Episodes | |
| 1997 | Cow and Chicken | Prisoner #1 / Poopy / Gate Guard | Episode: "Field Trip to Folsom Prison" | |
| 1998 | Jumanji | Mr. Shattuck (voice) | Episode: "Return of Squint" | |
| 1999 | Thanks | Dr. Addington | 6 episodes | |
| 1999 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Caligula | Episode:"Salem, the Boy" | |
| 1999 | Rocket Power | Mayor (voice) | Episode: "D is for Dad/Banned on the Run" | |
| 2000 | Men in Black: The Series | Additional voices | Episode: "The Spectacle Syndrome" | |
| 2000–2001 | Stainboy | Sgt. Glen Dale / Charity Home Matron / TV Announcer #2 (voices) | 6 Episodes | |
| 2001–2002 | Jackie Chan Adventures | Tso Lan / Xiao Fung (voices) | 5 Episodes | |
| 2002 | Time Squad | Man / King of Troy (voices) | Episode: "Never Look A Trojan in the Gift Horse" | |
| 2003 | Lilo & Stitch: The Series | 'Look At This' Producer (voice) | Episode: "Swirly: Experiment 383" | |
| 2003–2005 | Carnivàle | Val Templeton | 5 episodes | |
| 2004–2005 | All Grown Up! | Santa / The Tree / Karl Bender (voices) | 2 Episodes | |
| 2004 | The Batman | Arthur 'Artie' Brown / The Cluemaster (voice) | Episode: "Q & A" | [11] |
| 2005 | Xiaolin Showdown | Giant Spider (voice) | Episode: "Dangerous Minds" | |
| 2005 | Justice League Unlimited | Steven Mandragora (voice) | Episode: "Double Date" | [11] |
| 2005–2006 | Teen Titans | The Brain / Monsieur Mallah (voices) | 6 Episodes | [11] |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Demolition Man | Associate Bob | Archive footage from Demolition Man |
| 2004 | The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge | Mayor of Halloween Town | |
| 2005 | Kingdom Hearts II | English | |
| 2007 | Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ | ||
| 2014 | Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix | Posthumous release | |
| 2017 | Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix |
References
- https://www.pajiba.com/miscellaneous/glenn-shadix-1952-2010-rip.php
- "Glenn Shadix, Actor in 'Beetlejuice,' Dies at 58". The New York Times. September 9, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- Gary Childress. "Bio Tales Photo Gallery (Getting there was more than half the fun..)". GlennShadix.com. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
- Wilson, Claire M. (July 7, 2010) "Glenn Shadix". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
- "Glenn Shadix: From Alabama To Hollywood And Back". Legacy.com. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787187/
- Late Bessemer-born Beetlejuice actor Glenn Shadix said he had 'ex-gay' shock therapy. blog.al.com. September 8, 2010.
- "Actor and Bessemer native Glenn Shadix, who died Tuesday, appeared in more than 70 films and TV shows, from 'Beetle Juice' to 'Seinfeld'". Blog.al.com. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
- "Beetlejuice Actor's House Burns", TMZ.com, December 23, 2008
- Carlton, Bob (September 7, 2010). "Bessemer native and "Beetlejuice" actor Glenn Shadix dies following a fall in his condo". al.com/. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Glenn-Shadix/
