Actor Gerrit Graham, star of a number of beloved horror titles like Phantom of the Paradise, TerrorVision, and Child’s Play 2, has sadly passed away at the age of 77, per Variety. He is survived by his brother, Sam; his sons, Jack and Henry, and their wives, Talia and Joelle; and his four grandchildren, Nolan, Micah, Vera and Joey. The outlet reported that he suffered from lung disease.
It’s hard to define Graham by only one role or only one project, given his many talents in a variety of genres. In Brian de Palma‘s Phantom of the Paradise, Graham was the larger-than-life glam-rock star Beef, who was handpicked by record executive Swan as being the only one talented enough to open up his new club. Even with his relatively minimal screen time, Graham managed to stand out as a beloved characters in an entire ensemble full of beloved characters.
In TerrorVision, Graham played Stan Putterman, father of the Putterman family who installed the satellite dish that accidentally brought aliens into the household. In Child’s Play 2, he played the foster father to Andy Barclay who doubted the child’s tales of a killer doll, only to meet his untimely demise at the hands of Chucky.
All of these roles are iconic enough in their own right, but this only scratches the surface of his talents, having also appeared in titles like Demon Seed, Chopping Mall, C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D., and the TV series Tales from the Crypt. Graham wasn’t just an on-screen talent, as he also served as a screenwriter on The Little Mermaid, Oliver & Company, episodes of The Twilight Zone, and Disney’s Prince and The Pauper.
Graham’s legacy extends even beyond movies and TV as a songwriter and lyricist, having collaborated with The Grateful Dead and its members on various projects.
Our thoughts go out to Graham’s family and friends in this difficult time.
