Sid Haig, whose acting career spanned six decades and several genres, passed away this past Saturday, September 21st, at the age of 80, following an infection resulting from a fall in his Los Angeles home. Just days before his passing, his penultimate project, Rob Zombie's 3 from Hell, finished its three-night limited engagement in theaters. Sid's wife, Suzie Oberg, broke the news on his Instagram page early Monday morning.
Most will know Sid Haig as the foul-mouthed fried chicken and gasoline-shilling Captain Spaulding. But Haig, born Sidney Eddie Mosesian, would originate his acting career at the Pasadena Playhouse, a venue and performing arts school whose alumni also include Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, and Wayne Brady. His early work in blaxploitation films saw him work alongside Pam Grier in films such as Coffy and Foxy Brown. His partnership with Roger Corman, as well as his 6-foot-4 frame and imposing figure, typically saw him as a take-no-shit heavy, and this typecasting would lead to a host of television roles, including "The A-Team", "Mission: Impossible", and "Buck Rogers and the 25th Century".
In 1992, after his role in Boris and Natasha: The Movie, Haig decided that the type casting was too much, and retired from acting. He spent much of the 90s as a trained hypnotherapist, and while rumor has it that he was offered the role of Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction, it would not be until 1997's Jackie Brown that Haig would work with Quentin Tarantino, in a judge role that was literally written for Haig himself. He also had a small role in Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 2.
Just as Tarantino has his list of repeat offenders, Sid would find himself on that list for Rob Zombie, beginning with 2003's House of 1000 Corpses and its sequel The Devil's Rejects. He would go on to have some kind of role in nearly all of Zombie's films, from playing Chester in the remake of Halloween, to Dean Magnus in The Lords of Salem. His final work, Abruptio, is currently filming, though there has not been word on how Haig's passing will affect production.
Some of Haig's other notable genre works include Spider Baby, Galaxy of Terror, Night of the Living Dead 3D, Brotherhood of Blood, Dark Moon Rising, Hatchet III, Death House, Bone Tomahawk, High on the Hog and Hanukkah.
Having recently seen 3 from Hell and reliving the Firefly saga from the beginning just last week, I think I speak for everyone here at Crypt Teaze when I say that I hope Mr. Haig is passing over from this world to the next, and that he may get all the tutti fuckin' fruity he damn well pleases.
