Clifford Joseph Emmich (December 13, 1936 – November 28, 2022) was an American film, stage and television actor. He appeared in over 90 films and television programs, and is perhaps best known for playing the character of Chicago in the 1973 film Payday.
Cliff Emmich | |
|---|---|
| Born | Clifford Joseph Emmich December 13, 1936 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | November 28, 2022 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Film, stage and television actor |
Life and career
editClifford Joseph Emmich was born on December 13, 1936, in Cincinnati, Ohio.[1][2] Emmich joined the U.S. Air Force as a photo technician during the Korean War, after graduating from John Muir High School in 1955.[3]
He began his career on stage, as he was a student at the Pasadena Playhouse.[4] While mainly appearing on stage, Emmich performed in summer stock theaters, such as the Pink Garter Theatre, as he had played Molly's Father on the play I Ain't Down Yet in Jackson, Wyoming.[5] He had toured on 153 cities at 23 states with the American Repertory Players.[5]
Emmich began his film and television career in 1969, when he played an uncredited role in the film Gaily, Gaily. As he later appeared in numerous television programs including The Odd Couple, Ironside, Trapper John, M.D., 227, Murder, She Wrote, Happy Days, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, CHiPs, Starsky and Hutch, Little House on the Prairie, Fantasy Island, Who's the Boss?, Charlie's Angels, Columbo, Night Court, Walker, Texas Ranger, Knots Landing, Police Woman and Baywatch.[2] He also appeared in films such as, Payday (1973),[6] Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975), Aloha Bobby and Rose (1975), Bad Georgia Road (1977), Stingray (1978), Barracuda (1978), Halloween II (1981), Hellhole (1985), Return to Horror High (1987), Mouse Hunt (1997) and Inspector Gadget (1999).[2]
In 1978, when Emmich guest-starred on Little House on the Prairie, he stated that "there was nothing even funny about being fat".[7] He spent most of his life on a healthy diet, which he later abandoned.[7]
Emmich died of lung cancer on November 28, 2022, shortly before his 86th birthday, at his home in the Valley Village neighborhood of Los Angeles.[1]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Gaily, Gaily | Uncredited | |
| 1972 | Top of the Heap | Hard-Hat | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Hot Summer Week | Truckdriver | |
| 1973 | Payday | Chicago | |
| 1973 | Invasion of the Bee Girls | Coroner | |
| 1974 | Our Time | Hotel Clerk | |
| 1974 | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot | The Fat Man | |
| 1975 | Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins | Cliff Wilson - Used Car Dealer | |
| 1975 | Aloha, Bobby and Rose | Bird Brain | |
| 1976 | Jackson County Jail | Mr. Bigelow | |
| 1977 | Bad Georgia Road | Earl DePue | |
| 1977 | Telefon | Highway Patrolman #2 | |
| 1978 | Stingray | Roscoe | |
| 1978 | Barracuda | Deputy Lester | |
| 1981 | All the Marbles | Obese Promoter | |
| 1981 | Halloween II | Mr. Garrett | |
| 1985 | Hellhole | Dr. Blume | |
| 1987 | Return to Horror High | Dillon | |
| 1993 | Best of the Best II | Texan | |
| 1995 | Digital Man | Sheriff | |
| 1997 | Mouse Hunt | Mayor McKrinle | |
| 1998 | Bug Buster | Uncle Buck | |
| 1999 | Follow Your Heart | Mechanic | |
| 1999 | Inspector Gadget | Out of Control Bus Driver | |
| 1999 | Treehouse Hostage | Detective Nelson | |
| 2005 | Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School | Doorman | |
| 2013 | Holiday Road Trip | Rocky | Final film role |
References
edit- ^ a b Barnes, Mike. "Cliff Emmich, Actor in 'Payday' and 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,' Dies at 85". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Cliff Emmich". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ ‘Little House on the Prairie’ star Cliff Emmich passes away at 85 The Print. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "City Methodist, Church Offers, Classic Plays". The Checotah News. Checotah, Oklahoma. December 27, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved October 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Pink Garter Opens 10th Season Saturday". The Jackson Hole Guide. Jackson, Wyoming. June 13, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved October 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Payday' in a Star's Jangling World". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. November 18, 1973. p. 109. Retrieved October 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Overweight Man Fills Role". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. October 1, 1978. p. 132. Retrieved October 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
