Charles Rocket
Born	August 24, 1949 Bangor, Maine, USA
Died	October 7, 2005 (aged 56) Canterbury, Connecticut, USA
Awards Golden Globe Awards Won: Best Ensemble Cast 1994 Short Cuts (1993)

Charles Rocket, born Charles Adams Claverie (August 24, 1949 – October 7, 2005), was an American film and television actor, most notable for his tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live as well as for his appearances as the villain Nicholas Andre in the film Dumb & Dumber and Adam, the Angel of Death, in the series Touched by an Angel. He had a son with his wife Beth. ^[1] Image File history File links RocketCharlesz. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the Maine, USA city of Bangor. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Canterbury is a town located in Windham County, Connecticut. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... Short Cuts is a 1993 film directed by Robert Altman. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 90 minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City that has been broadcast live by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dumb & Dumber Dumb And Dumber is a comedy film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, released in 1994. ... This article contains a trivia section. ...

Biography

Early life

Rocket attended the Rhode Island School of Design in the late 1960s and was part of the Rhode Island underground scene in the 1970s. He made several short films and fronted his band, the Fabulous Motels. He later anchored the local news at Channel 12 WPRI and at KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs under his own name, and WTVF Nashville under the name Charles Kennedy. He made his network debut on the popular late-night television Saturday Night Live. The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD, pronounced /RIZ-dee/) is one of the premier fine arts institutions in the United States. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Short subject is an American film industry term that historically has referred to any film in the format of two reels, or approximately 20 minutes running time, or less. ... WPRI-TV is the CBS-affiliate television station for the state of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. ... WTVF, also known as NewsChannel 5, is the CBS television network affiliate in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

Later in his career Rocket would lend his accordion talents to the David Byrne/B-52's collaboration Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia is the result of what was intended as the third full length album from The B-52s. ...

Saturday Night Live

Rocket was cast for the 1980–81 season, which followed the departure of the remaining members of the show's popular original cast and original executive producer Lorne Michaels. Singled out by new executive producer Jean Doumanian as the star of her new ensemble, Rocket was promoted as "kind of a cross between Bill Murray and Chevy Chase." Rocket was given the role of anchor for the show's Weekend Update news parody, and was featured in many sketches. His opening line before beginning Weekend Update was "Good evening, I'm Charles Rocket. Here now, the news." His closing line was "I'm Charles Rocket. Good night, and watch out." ^[2] This is a reference to famous newsman Edward R. Murrow's traditional closing line of "Good night, and good luck." The Early Eighties For much of the decade SNL was in turmoil and many critics wrote the show off as a pale imitation of its former glory. ... Lorne Michaels (born Lorne Michael Lipowitz on November 17, 1944) is an Emmy-winning Canadian-born television producer, writer and comedian best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it. ... Jean Doumanian (born c. ... William James Bill Murray (b. ... Chevy Chase (born October 8, 1943) is an Emmy Award-winning American comedian, writer, and television and film actor. ... A news anchor (US,Can. ... Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch which comments on and parodies current events. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... April 8, 1956: CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow talking to reporters during a stop in Wiesbaden, Germany. ...

The new cast (except for Joe Piscopo, writer Brian Doyle-Murray, and Eddie Murphy) was not at all popular with audiences, a reflection, perhaps, of the overall substandard writing quality^{[citation needed]}. Though not the most popular Update anchor, Rocket was something of a standout due to his infamous "Rocket Reports" segments. ... Brian Doyle-Murray (born October 31, 1945) is an American comedian, screenwriter and character actor from Chicago. ... Edward Eddie Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961, Brooklyn, New York City[1]) is an Academy Award nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and comedian. ...

With one word, Rocket brought an end to his and Doumanian's tenures on the show. The February 21, 1981 episode hosted by Dallas star Charlene Tilton featured a parody of the famed Who Shot J.R.? episode of Dallas. In the sketch, Rocket was shot in the chest by a sniper. At the end of the show, as cast members traditionally gathered around the host to say good night, Tilton asked Rocket how he felt about being shot. In character, a wheelchair-bound Rocket improvised, "Oh, man, it’s the first time in my life I’ve been shot. I'd like to know who the fuck did it", followed by the cast and audience reacting with shock and laughter. Due to the violation of broadcast standards, Doumanian and Rocket were soon fired (along with most of the writers and fellow cast members Gilbert Gottfried and Ann Risley). Piscopo and Murphy were the only cast members to survive the axe, after new producer Dick Ebersol replaced Denny Dillon and Gail Matthius after producing one episode. is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1981 in television involved some significant events. ... The Southfork Ranch, home of the Ewing family The original cast of Dallas. ... Actress Charlene Tilton was born December 1, 1958 in San Diego, California, USA. She has had a varied career, with many roles, beginning with a small part as Bambi in Freaky Friday. ... Who shot J.R.? was a national obsession. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Gilbert Gottfried (born February 28, 1955 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American stand-up comedian and actor noted for his grating voice, his Brooklyn accent and his tendency to shout. ... Ann Risley (born in 1949) was a cast member of the tv series Saturday Night Live for just 13 weeks. ... Duncan Dick Ebersol (born July 28, 1947 in Torrington, Connecticut) is an American radio and TV manager. ... Denny Dillon (born May 18, 1951 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comedian and former cast member of Saturday Night Live. ... Gail Matthius, born in 1953, is an American actress and voice actress. ...

Episodes in which Rocket appeared have rarely been seen since their original airdates^{[citation needed]}, but they will likely be released in a "Complete Sixth Season" boxed set, as NBC began releasing such sets in 2006.

Post-SNL career

Rocket recovered from this early career setback and acted in many films, including Earth Girls Are Easy, It's Pat, Dances with Wolves, and Dumb & Dumber, often portraying the antagonist. In television, he secured a series of guest spots on several 1980s sitcoms, co-starred in the short-lived 1992 comedy-drama series Tequila and Bonetti, and played rival network president Ned Grossberg on the 1980s cyberpunk series Max Headroom. Rocket became well known for his role as Richard Addison (brother to Bruce Willis' David Addison) on the popular comedy-drama Moonlighting and as "Adam"^[3] the first "Angel of Death" on CBS's Touched by an Angel.^[4] Earth Girls Are Easy is a 1988 American comedy/musical film. ... Look up pat, Pat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic film which tells the story of a United States cavalry officer from the Civil War who travels into the Dakota Territory, near a Sioux tribe. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dumb & Dumber Dumb And Dumber is a comedy film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, released in 1994. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1992. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tequila and Bonetti is a TV series starring Jack Scalia. ... Ned Grossberg is the name of a recurring villain on the Max Headroom TV series. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Berlins Sony Center reflects the global reach of a Japanese corporation. ... It has been suggested that 20 Minutes into the Future be merged into this article or section. ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a German-American actor and singer. ... Moonlighting is a television series that first aired on ABC in the United States from 1985 to 1989 with a total of 66 episodes. ... This article contains a trivia section. ...

During the 1990s, some roles for Rocket were box office duds such as the animated Titan A.E. and Fathers' Day and the short-lived 2000 John Goodman series Normal, Ohio on the Fox network. But he made frequent guest appearances on many popular television programs in the late 1990s and early-to-mid 2000s, including Quantum Leap, The King of Queens, and recurring roles in Touched By An Angel, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, the last of which marked his final appearance on network television. He also lent his voice to popular video game titles Star Wars: Starfighter, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (as the character "Nym" in both games), Descent 3, and Age of Mythology. The term box office can refer to either: A place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to a venue The amount of business a particular production, such as a movie or theatre show, does. ... Titan A.E. is an 2000 animated sci-fi speace adventure film from Fox Animation Studios and Twentieth Century Fox. ... Fathers Day is a 1997 comedy film that was directed by Ivan Reitman and starred Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Nastassja Kinski. ... This is a list of television-related events in 2000. ... John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is a Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated American actor. ... Normal, Ohio was an American television sitcom, which aired on the Fox Network in 2000. ... The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), is a television network in the United States. ... Quantum Leap is a science fiction television series that ran for 97 episodes from March 1989 to May 1993 on NBC. It follows the adventures of Dr. Samuel Beckett (played by Scott Bakula), a brilliant scientist who after researching time-travel, and doing experiments in something he calls The Imaging... The King of Queens is an Emmy nominated, American comedy series that ran for nine seasons, from 1998 until 2007. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Law & Order: Criminal Intent is a United States crime drama television series that began in 2001. ... Descent is a 3D first-person shooter computer game noted for popularizing the use of portal rendering technology and providing the player with six full degrees of freedom (often abbreviated 6DOF) to move and to look around. ... Age of Mythology (commonly abbreviated as AoM), is a mythology-based, real-time strategy computer game developed by Ensemble Studios, and published by Microsoft Game Studios. ...

His final film role came in the 2003 movie Shade which starred Sylvester Stallone and Melanie Griffith. The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. ... Shade is a 2003 neo-noir crime drama starring Stuart Townsend, Gabriel Byrne, Thandie Newton, Jamie Foxx, Roger Guenveur Smith, Melanie Griffith and Sylvester Stallone. ... Sylvester Stallone (born July 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ... Melanie Griffith (born August 9, 1957 in New York City) is an Academy Award-nominated American film actress. ...

Charles Rocket's final appearance on television was on the series Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2004. He guest starred playing Donny DePalma, a bank robber. Coincidentally, the character he portrayed was suicidal. Law & Order: Criminal Intent is a United States crime drama television series that began in 2001. ... The year 2004 in television involved some significant events. ...

Death

On October 7, 2005, the body of Charles Rocket was discovered by police in his yard in Canterbury, Connecticut; his throat had been cut. The Connecticut state medical examiner later ruled his death a suicide, with no foul play suspected^[5]. is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Canterbury is a town located in Windham County, Connecticut. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Largest metro area Hartford Area  Ranked 48th  - Total 5,543[2] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... A coroner is the presiding officer of a special court to investigate deaths that occur under unusual circumstances where conventional criminal proceedings are not immediately called for. ... Rather than surrender to US soldiers, the Mayor (Bürgermeister) of Leipzig, Germany, committed suicide along with his wife and daughter on April 20, 1945. ...

Roles on SNL

Recurring character

• Phil Lively, a game show host who took his larger-than-life persona home and treated life as if it were a game show.

Celebrity impersonations on SNL

• Ronald Reagan
• David Rockefeller
• Prince Charles
• Marlin Perkins

Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... David Rockefeller, Sr. ... Prince Charles may refer to: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, current heir-apparent to the British throne Any of the previous British royals named Charles, Prince of Wales The former Belgian regent, Prince Charles of Belgium This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that... Richard Marlin Perkins (March 28, 1905 – June 14, 1986) was a zoologist, best known as a host of the television program Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom. ...

Filmography

William James Bill Murray (b. ... Jane Curtin - Promo Picture from 3rd Rock from the Sun Jane Therese Curtin (born September 6, 1947) is an American actress and comedian, from Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... Hes on the phone with a SEX LINE... Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch which comments on and parodies current events. ... Gail Matthius, born in 1953, is an American actress and voice actress. ...

References

Reuters Group plc (LSE: RTR and NASDAQ: RTRSY); pron. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Charles Rocket at the Internet Movie Database
• Obituary for Charles Rocket Variety.com. 2005-10-14.
• Remembering a giant of the Providence underground Providence Phoenix. 2005-10-25. Phillipe and Jorge. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
• Obituary for Charles Rocket. Zebrality.com. Includes video clip of the infamous Saturday Night Live episode. (Windows media)
• Blog entry by friend Julia Sweeney about Rocket
• Charles Rocket Photos