The instantly recognisable movie actor Robert Z'Dar, who found cult stardom through roles like the titular villain in the Maniac Cop series, has died. He was 64.
Born Robert Zdarsky in Chicago in 1950, his extraordinary jaw was the result of Acromegaly, but he was able to turn his unique appearance to a career advantage, racking up well over a hundred screen appearances.
Z'Dar's love of acting began in high school, and he studied the craft (and played football) at Arizona State University, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Following stints on the Chicago police force and as a musician - his band Nova Express opened for Jefferson Airplane and The Who - he finally scored his first screen role in the crime cheapie Flesh And Bullets in 1985.
His imposing 6'2" frame (he actually danced as a Chippendale for a short while) lumbered through half a dozen more obscure genre titles until he landed his signature role as Maniac Cop Matt Cordell in 1988. Produced and written by cult doyen Larry Cohen, the film pitted him against Bruce Campbell as a Myers/Voorhees-type unstoppable undead killer. He returned for Maniac Cop 2 in 1990, and for threequel Badge Of Silence in 1993: both times with Robert Davi.
Low-rent action and horror remained his stock-in-trade for the rest of his career, although he kept prolifically busy, both on screen and on the convention circuit. But he did occasionally collide with the mainstream. He was in Moonlighting in 1985; in Tango & Cash with Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in 1989; and in the crime actioner Mobsters in 1991, with Christian Slater, Anthony Quinn and F. Murray Abraham. Two of his films - Soultaker (1990) and Future War (1997) - were given the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 treatment.
Z'Dar was attending the Pensacon genre convention in Pensacola, Florida over the weekend when he suffered a heart attack. He had been due to start work on Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance shortly. His final completed film was an action comedy with Sid Haig called High On The Hog, in which he played The Mayor.
"We talked every day," said his agent and friend Jim Decker. "We've been together through thick and thin. He was the first actor I took on in my career as an agent. We spent many weekends on the road together and a lot of time enjoying each other's company. I miss him dearly."