Sydney Lassick

Sydney Lassick (July 23, 1922 – April 12, 2003) was an American character actor whose career spanned more than four decades, beginning in the late 1950s and concluding around the turn of the millennium. Born in Chicago, Illinois to Russian‑Jewish immigrants, he grew up during the Great Depression before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After his military service he pursued drama at DePaul University, laying the groundwork for a prolific career in film and television. Lassick’s most iconic role came in 1975 when he portrayed the eccentric, whiny patient Charlie Cheswick in the Academy Award‑winning adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a performance that cemented his reputation as a memorable supporting actor. He thereafter appeared in a series of cult and genre films, including the sarcastic English teacher Mr. Fromm in Carrie (1976), the abusive innkeeper Ernest Keller in the horror slasher The Unseen (1980), and the flamboyant Gopher in Deep Cover (1992). He also lent his voice to an animated feature, playing Straycatcher #2 in Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992).

On television, Lassick was a familiar face guest‑starring on classic series such as Eight Is Enough, Baretta, Barney Miller, Hawaii Five‑O, Moonlighting, Night Court, Knots Landing, Dream On and The X‑Files. Though typically cast in supporting roles, he carried the lead in the Amazing Stories episode “Remote Control Man”. His career reflected a talent for embodying quirky, often sympathetic characters, delivering both humor and pathos. Lassick passed away at age 80 from complications of diabetes in Los Angeles, and he was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery, his modest gravestone bearing only his name and a Star of David, a quiet tribute to a versatile performer whose work continues to be revisited by film enthusiasts.