Sydney Lassick

Sydney Lassick (July 23, 1922 – April 12, 2003) was an American character actor perhaps best known for his role as Charlie Cheswick in the feature film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Lassick's first name was sometimes spelled Sidney.

Biography
He was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Russian Jewish immigrants. Lassick, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and afterwards studied drama at DePaul University, began acting in both films and TV shows in the late 1950s.

Lassick is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Charlie Cheswick, a whiny and childish manic depressive patient in the 1975 Academy Award-winning film One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Other memorable roles include a fey Fairy Godfather in the lowbrow Sinderella and the Golden Bra; Mr. Fromm, the spitefully sarcastic English teacher in the 1976 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Carrie; the perverse and abusive innkeeper Ernest Keller in slasher horror The Unseen; the slimy Charlie P. in the cult film Sonny Boy; and the effeminate lackey Gopher in Deep Cover (1992). Lassick also was the voice of Straycatcher #2 in the 1992 animated feature film Tom and Jerry: The Movie.

In television, Lassick guest starred on such shows as Eight Is Enough, Baretta, Hawaii Five-O, Barney Miller, Matt Houston, Moonlighting, Night Court, Knots Landing, Dream On and The X-Files. While usually a supporting actor, he played the lead in an episode of Amazing Stories called "Remote Control Man".

Though a successful actor, Lassick maintained a steady job as a trucking company's dispatcher throughout his career. He asserted that actors never knew when the acting jobs would stop coming.

Death
Lassick died at age 80 In Midway Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Lassick was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Notable TV guest appearances

 * Serpico as Goldman in episode 1.0: "The Deadly Game", 24 April 1976
 * The Man from Atlantis as Smith in episode 1.7: "The Hawk of Mu", 18 October 1977
 * Eight Is Enough as Mr. Kaminsky in episode 2.6: "Dark Horse", 26 October 1977
 * Baretta in episode 4.8: "Who Can Make the Sun Shine?", 30 November 1977
 * Tabitha as Warlock in episode 1.9: "What's Wrong with Mister Right?", 31 December 1977
 * Kaz in episode 1.7: "Which Side Are You On?", 5 November 1978
 * Barney Miller
 * as Mr. Cummings in episode 5.11: "Toys", 14 December 1978
 * as Victor Carse (as Sidney Lassick, in episode 6.22: "Fog", 8 May 1980
 * Archie Bunker's Place as Sid in episode 3.4: "Harry's Investment", 25 October 1981 and in episode 3.3: "The Date", 11 October 1981
 * Gloria as Dr. Montego in episode 1.20: "Class Struggle", 3 April 1983
 * Matt Houston as Brady in episode 2.5: "Needle in a Haystack", 7 October 1983
 * Night Court as Leo in episode 2.4: "Pick a Number", 25 October 1984
 * Amazing Stories as Walter Poindexter in episode 1.10: "Remote Control Man", 8 December 1985
 * Moonlighting as Neighbor in episode 2.11: "The Bride of Tupperman", 14 January 1986
 * Gabriel's Fire as Liebowitz in episode 1.19: "One Flew Over the Bird's Nest", 17 April 1991
 * On the Air as Mr. Zoblotnick in episodes 1.7 & 1.4, 1992
 * Dream On as Mr. Janovic in episode 4.18: "Martin Tupper in 'Magnum Farce'", 16 February 1994
 * The X-Files as Chuck Forsch in episode 4.22: "Elegy", 4 May 1997