Roy Brocksmith
Encyclopedia
Biography
Brocksmith was born in Quincy, IllinoisQuincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
, the son of Vera Marguerite (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Hartwig) and Otis E. Brocksmith, who was a mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
. He graduated from Quincy University
Quincy University
Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...
in 1970. He then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he began a career on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. His roles included Louis XIII in The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers (musical)
The Three Musketeers is a musical with a book by William Anthony McGuire, lyrics by Clifford Grey and P. G. Wodehouse, and music by Rudolf Friml. It is based on the classic 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas, père....
and the balladeer in a revival of Threepenny Opera with Raul Julia
Raúl Juliá
Raúl Rafael Juliá y Arcelay was a Puerto Rican actor.Born in San Juan, he gained interest in acting while still in school. Upon completing his studies, Juliá decided to pursue a career in acting. After performing in the local scene for some time, he was convinced by entertainment personality Orson...
.
Brocksmith's nerdy, pudgy appearance made him perfect for comic roles, particularly in the late '80s and 1990s. Among his more prominent roles are the duplicitous Dr. Edgemar in Total Recall
Total Recall
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”...
and jovial mortician Irv Kendall in Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia (film)
Arachnophobia is a 1990 American comedy horror film directed by Frank Marshall and starring Jeff Daniels and John Goodman. It was the first film released by Hollywood Pictures....
.
He died in 2001, aged 56, from complications of diabetes.
Filmography
- PsychoPsycho (1998 film)Psycho is a 1998 American horror film produced and directed by Gus Van Sant for Universal Pictures, a remake of the 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock...
(1998) - Kull the ConquerorKull the ConquerorKull the Conqueror is a 1997 fantasy film about the Robert E. Howard character Kull starring Kevin Sorbo. It is a movie adaptation of Howard's Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon, with the protagonist changed to the author's other barbarian hero Kull...
- The Road to WellvilleThe Road to Wellville (film)The Road to Wellville is a 1994 American comedy-drama film adaptation of T. Coraghessan Boyle's novel of the same name, which tells the story of the doctor and clean-living advocate John Harvey Kellogg and his methods as employed at the Battle Creek Sanitarium at the start of the 20th Century...
- It Runs in the Family
- The Hudsucker ProxyThe Hudsucker ProxyThe Hudsucker Proxy is a 1994 screwball comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Sam Raimi co-wrote the script and served as second unit director....
- Lightning JackLightning JackLightning Jack is a 1994 western film written by and starring Paul Hogan, as well as Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beverly D'Angelo.-Plot:Paul Hogan plays Lightning Jack Kane, an Australian outlaw who is continuously annoyed at not being recognised as an outlaw, partially due to his lackluster and...
- Almost Dead
- Nickel & Dime
- Bill & Ted's Bogus JourneyBill & Ted's Bogus JourneyBill & Ted's Bogus Journey is a 1991 American science fiction comedy film, and the directing debut of Peter Hewitt. It is the second film in the Bill & Ted franchise, and a sequel to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure . Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter and George Carlin reprise their respective roles...
- ArachnophobiaArachnophobia (film)Arachnophobia is a 1990 American comedy horror film directed by Frank Marshall and starring Jeff Daniels and John Goodman. It was the first film released by Hollywood Pictures....
- Total RecallTotal RecallTotal Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”...
- Martians Go HomeMartians Go Home (film)Martians Go Home is a 1990 comedy film starring Randy Quaid. It was directed by David Odell and written by Charles S. Haas based on the novel by science fiction author Fredric Brown....
- RelentlessRelentless (1989 film)Relentless is a 1989 American crime film directed by William Lustig and starring Judd Nelson, Robert Loggia and Leo Rossi. The film follows two LAPD officers on a hunt for an ex-cop turned serial killer....
- Tango & CashTango & CashTango & Cash is a 1989 American buddy cop film starring Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Jack Palance and Teri Hatcher. It was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, although Albert Magnoli took over in the later stages of filming....
- The War of the RosesThe War of The RosesThe War of the Roses is a novel by Warren Adler.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9806E0D91138F93BA15755C0A967948260-Plot introduction:...
- ScroogedScroogedScrooged is a 1988 American comedy film, a modernization of Charles Dickens' novella, A Christmas Carol. The film was produced and directed by Richard Donner, and the cinematography was by Michael Chapman. The screenplay was written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue...
- Big BusinessBig BusinessBig business is a term used to describe large corporations, in either an individual or collective sense. The term first came into use in a symbolic sense subsequent to the American Civil War, particularly after 1880, in connection with the combination movement that began in American business at...
- Who's That Girl
- Tales of Ordinary MadnessTales of Ordinary MadnessTales of Ordinary Madness is a 1981 film by Italian director Marco Ferreri. It was shot in English in the USA, featuring Ben Gazzara and Ornella Muti in the leading roles...
- Rent ControlRent Control (film)Rent Control is a drama/comedy/romance film starring Brent Spiner and directed by Italian director Gian Luigi Polidoro. It was made in 1982, though it was not released until 1984.-Primary cast:*Brent Spiner as Leonard Junger...
- Stardust MemoriesStardust MemoriesStardust Memories is a 1980 film written and directed by Woody Allen, who considers this to be one of his best films in addition to The Purple Rose of Cairo and Match Point. The film is shot in black-and-white, particularly reminiscent of Federico Fellini's 8½ , which it parodies...
- Killer FishKiller FishKiller Fish is an Italian horror movie directed by Antonio Margheriti in 1979. The film, like many monster movies of the 1970s and 1980s, is very similar to Jaws.-Plot:...
- King of the GypsiesKing of the GypsiesThe title King of the Gypsies has been claimed or given over the centuries to many different people. It is both culturally and geographically specific. It may be inherited, acquired by acclamation or action, or simply claimed. The extent of the power associated with the title varied; it might be...
- The SqueezeThe SqueezeFor other films called "The Squeeze" see The Squeeze )The Squeeze is a 1977 British gangster thriller, directed by Michael Apted, based on a novel by Bill James...
Television and guest roles
- The Golden GirlsThe Golden GirlsThe Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
- A Walton Wedding
- White DwarfWhite dwarfA white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small star composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. They are very dense; a white dwarf's mass is comparable to that of the Sun and its volume is comparable to that of the Earth. Its faint luminosity comes from the emission of stored...
- Picket FencesPicket FencesPicket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
- Steel Justice
- Killer InstinctKiller Instinct (TV series)Killer Instinct is an American crime drama television series filmed in Vancouver that originally aired on the Fox Network. The pilot episode aired on September 23, 2005, and the final episode aired on December 2, 2005....
- It's Garry Shandling's ShowIt's Garry Shandling's ShowIt's Garry Shandling's Show is an American sitcom which was initially broadcast on Showtime from 1986 to 1990. It was created by Garry Shandling and Alan Zweibel. The show is notable for its frequent use of breaking the fourth wall to allow characters to speak directly to the audience...
- Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number
- PaynePayne (TV series)Payne is an American television series, patterned after the British program Fawlty Towers. It starred American actor John Larroquette, who portrayed assistant district attorney Dan Fielding on the American television program Night Court...
- Eerie India: Just say no to fun
- Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
- Star Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 2, Episode 21 'Peak Performance'
- SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
- Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Night CourtNight CourtNight Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
- Hunter
- The WizardThe Wizard (TV series)The Wizard is a live-action, family friendly, action/adventure series created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Paul B. Radin...
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action American television series based on the Superman comic books...
- Ferris Bueller (TV series)Ferris Bueller (TV series)Ferris Bueller is an American sitcom based on the 1986 John Hughes's film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It debuted on August 23, 1990, on NBC and was cancelled within its first season, a few months after its debut....