Nicholas Worth (September 4, 1937 – May 7, 2007) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

who appeared on film, on TV, and in video games.

Early years

Worth was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 4, 1937. He served for three years in the army as a

paratrooper A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infa ...

Obituary
''L.A. Times'', latimes.com, May 11, 2007; accessed October 8, 2016. and studied at the

Carnegie Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

and

Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena Playhouse is a Tony Award-winning historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...

Career

Worth specialized in playing antagonistic characters. Among his best-known, most typical villainous roles are Kirk Smith, the tormented necrophiliac serial-killer of attractive young women in the low-budget horror film ''

Don't Answer the Phone ''Don't Answer the Phone!'' is a 1980 American Psychological horror film, psychological horror film co-written and directed by Robert Hammer. While not prosecuted for obscenity, the film was seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the ...

'' (1980), and Ray, a fearsome homosexual rapist in the 1985 TV movie ''

The Rape of Richard Beck ''The Rape of Richard Beck'' (also known as ''Deadly Justice'') is a 1985 American television film. It was written by James G. Hirsch and directed by Karen Arthur, and stars Richard Crenna, Pat Hingle, Frances Lee McCain, and Joanna Kerns. ...

''. He began with a low-level TV career, appearing in one episode of ''Charlie's Angels'' as a kidnapper-on-skates. Subsequently, he played numerous roles as henchmen and tough guys in films such as ''

Swamp Thing Swamp Thing is a superhero and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several different incarnations throughout his publication. The ch ...

'' (1982), ''

City Heat ''City Heat'' is a 1984 American buddy- crime comedy film starring Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, written by Blake Edwards and directed by Richard Benjamin. The film was released in North America in December 1984. The pairing of Eastwood an ...

'' (1984), ''

Doin' Time "Doin' Time" is a song by American band Sublime, appearing as the closing track on their self-titled third album. The lyrics tell of a cheating girlfriend, whose infidelities and poor treatment of her lover make him feel like he is in prison. ...

'' (1985), ''

The Ladies Club ''The Ladies Club'' is a 1986 American rape and revenge film directed by Janet Greek (under the pseudonym A.K. Allen), and starring Karen Austin, Diana Scarwid, Christine Belford and Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) ...

'' (1986), '' No Way Out'' (1987), ''

Hell Comes to Frogtown ''Hell Comes to Frogtown'' is a 1988 American science fiction action film directed by Donald G. Jackson and R. J. Kizer, and written by Jackson and Randall Frakes. The film stars professional wrestler Roddy Piper as Sam Hell, one of the last rem ...

'' (1988), '' Action Jackson'' (1988), '' The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!'' (1988), ''

Darkman ''Darkman'' is a 1990 American superhero horror film directed and co-written by Sam Raimi. The film stars Liam Neeson as scientist Peyton Westlake, who is brutally attacked, disfigured, and left for dead by ruthless mobster Robert Durant ( La ...

'' (1990), '' Best of the Best 2'' (1993), '' Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II'' (1994), ''

Barb Wire file:Barbed Wire Roll.jpg, Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire or bob wire (in the Southern United States, Southern and Southwestern United States), is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp ...

'' (1996) and '' Blood Dolls'' (1999). He appeared at the beginning of ''

Heartbreak Ridge ''Heartbreak Ridge'' is a 1986 American war film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Marsha Mason, Everett McGill, and Mario Van Peebles, and was released in the United States on December 5, ...

'' (1986) as a convict who was beaten up by

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...

, and in the same year, he played a

Divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...

-like drag queen who loses his clothes to

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian who is best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films. Candy first rose to national prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Tor ...

in '' Armed and Dangerous''. He continued his TV career, playing small roles in sci-fi programs like '' Star Trek: Voyager'' and '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', and in ''

WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional AM radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson. It was based upon his experiences obs ...

'', ''

Knight Rider ''Knight Rider'' is an American media franchise, entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three-television series: the original ''Knight Rider (1982 TV series), Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequ ...

'', ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

'', and ''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 4, 1984, and ended on May 31, 1992, after nine seasons consisting of List of Night Court episodes, 193 episodes. The show is set in the night shift of a Manhattan ...

'' and in "

Simon and Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who operat ...

". He also did video game work, portraying General Marzaq and Premier Romanov in

Westwood Studios Westwood Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985 as Brelous Software, but got changed after 2 months into Westwood Associates and was renamed to Westw ...

' ''

Command & Conquer ''Command & Conquer'' (''C&C'') is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise created and originally developed by Westwood Studios and currently owned by Electronic Arts. The first game was one of the earliest of the RTS genre, itself ba ...

'' series of

games A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ...

, Sierra's '' The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery'', and '' Emperor: Battle for Dune''.

Personal life

Worth was an amateur power-lifter and bodybuilder and a born-again Christian.

Death

Worth died of heart failure at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys at the age of 69.

Selected filmography

* 1966 ''For Pete's Sake'' * 1973 ''

Scream Blacula Scream ''Scream Blacula Scream'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation horror film. It is a sequel to the 1972 film ''Blacula'', focusing on the resurrection of the vampire Mamuwalde. The film was produced by American International Pictures (AIP) and Pow ...

'' as Dennis * 1974 ''Bogard'' as Masters * 1974 ''

The Terminal Man ''The Terminal Man'' is a novel by American writer Michael Crichton. It is his second novel under his own name and his twelfth overall, and is about the dangers of mind control. It was published in April 1972, and also serialized in ''Playboy' ...

'' as Hospital Orderly (uncredited) * 1974 ''Black Starlet'' as Motorcycle Cop * 1977 ''Mule Feathers'' as "Copperhead" * 1978 ''

Coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to Nociception, respond normally to Pain, painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal Circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate ...

'' as Jefferson Institute Chief of Security (uncredited) * 1979 ''

The Glove The Glove was a 1983 English musical collaboration and recording project by the Cure's Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees' Steven Severin. They released one studio album, '' Blue Sunshine'', in 1983 as part of Severin's solo deal with ...

'' as Chuck * 1980 ''

'' as Kirk Smith * 1982 ''

'' as Bruno * 1984 '' Invitation to Hell'' as Sheriff * 1984 ''

The Hills Have Eyes Part II ''The Hills Have Eyes Part II'' is a 1985 American horror film written and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Tamara Stafford, Kevin Spirtas, John Bloom (actor), John Bloom, Michael Berryman, Penny Johnson Jerald, Penny Johnson, Janus Blyt ...

'' as The Reaper (voice, uncredited) * 1984 ''

'' as Troy Roker * 1985 ''

'' as "Animal" * 1985 ''

'' as Ray * 1986 ''

'' as Jack Dwyer * 1986 '' Armed and Dangerous'' as Transvestite * 1986 ''

'' as Jail Binger * 1987 '' No Way Out'' as Cup Breaker * 1987 ''Dirty Laundry'' as Vito * 1987 ''Death Feud'' as Jim * 1988 ''

'' as "Bull" * 1988 '' Action Jackson'' as Cartier * 1988 '' The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!'' as Thug #1 * 1989 ''Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog'' as The Head Chef * 1990 ''

'' as Pauly Mazzuchelli * 1991 '' Blood and Concrete'' as Spuntz * 1993 '' Best of the Best 2'' as "Sick Humor" * 1993 '' Fist of Honor'' as Tucchi * 1994 '' Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II'' as "Rock" * 1995 ''A Gift from Heaven'' * 1995 ''Hologram Man'' as "One-Eye" * 1996 ''

'' as Ruben Tannenbaum * 1996 ''

High School High ''High School High'' is a 1996 American comedy film about an inner city high school in the Los Angeles, California area, starring Jon Lovitz, Tia Carrere, Mekhi Phifer, Louise Fletcher, Malinda Williams, and Brian Hooks. It is a spoof of fi ...

'' as "Rhino" * 1996 '' Timelock'' as Sullivan * 1996 ''Dangerous Cargo'' as Yuri * 1997 '' Leather Jacket Love Story'' as Jack * 1998 ''

Denial Denial, in colloquial English usage, has at least three meanings: * the assertion that any particular statement or allegation, whose truth is uncertain, is not true; * the refusal of a request; and * the assertion that a true statement is fal ...

'' as Walt Smiley * 1999 ''Slaves of Hollywood'' as Sam Gittleman * 1999 '' Blood Dolls'' as George Warbeck * 1999 ''Every Dog Has Its Day'' as Mel * 2000 ''Starforce'' as Jemma Quonloy

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Worth, Nicholas 1937 births 2007 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from St. Louis 20th-century American male actors American video game actors