It’s being reported that actor Micahel J. Pollard has died at the age of 80. Rob Zombie, director of Devil’s Rejects and Halloween (2007), confirmed the actor’s death. Zombie issued a statement that reads, “We have lost another member of our HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES family. I woke up to the news that Michael J. Pollard had died. I have always loved his work and his truly unique on-screen presence. He was one of the first actors I knew I had to work with as soon as I got my first film off the ground.” Zombie worked closely with Pollard while filming House of 1,000 Corpses.
But, for many of his fans, the actor is best remembered for some of his earlier work. Pollard earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the classic 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde as C.W. Moss. And in 1998, he had a supporting role in Bill Murray’s Scrooged, which was an adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Pollard also made many small-screen appearances. Fans remember him for his role on the Andy Griffith Show, where he played Virgil, the cousin of Barney Fife. He also played the role of Jerome Krebs, cousin of Maynard G. Krebs on the show The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. However, one of his most prominent roles was on an episode of the original Star Trek TV series called “Miri.”
Michael Pollard ‘Dobie Gillis’ and ‘Star Trek’ / CBS/NBC
Not many folks know this, but Pollard was the inspiration of well-known Hollywood actor Michael J. Fox, because of his name. Fox wished to somehow distinguish his name from the actor Micael Fox (who was best known for his western films). As Fox writes in his 2002 memoir titled Lucky Man: A Memoir, “I remembered one of my favorite character actors, Michael J. Pollard, the guileless accomplice in Bonnie and Clyde…. I stuck in the J, which I sometimes tell people stands for either Jenuine, or Jenius.”
Michael J. Pollard / MeTV
The site Legacy.com reports that the actor died from cardiac arrest at a Los Angeles hospital. Michael J. Pollard is survived by his daughter Holly Pollack. May he rest in peace.
Source: Do You Remember
