John Matuszak (October 25, 1950 - June 17, 1989) was a football player and actor who portrayed Sloth in The Goonies.
Life and career[]
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 25, 1950, Matuszak grew up playing football as a defensive end. He played for the University of Missouri during college, and was drafted into professional football for two teams at once, the Houston Oilers in the NFL and the Houston Texans in the WFL, before he was forced to stop playing both at once. Punishing him for this, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, then the Washington Redskins before joining the Oakland Raiders. With the Raiders, he played in and won two Super Bowls.
Matuszak competed in the 1978 World's Strongest Man competition, placing ninth.
He began acting in the 80s and has been in multiple films, including Caveman, The Ice Pirates, and One Crazy Summer. His most well-known movie role was as Sloth in The Goonies. He also starred in numerous TV shows, such as M*A*S*H, The A-Team, and The Dukes of Hazzard.
Matuszak's autobiography, Cruisin' with the Tooz, written by Steve Delsohn, was published in 1987.
On June 17, 1989, Matuszak died from an overdose of dextropropoxyphene with cocaine powder found in his system; additional medical conditions such as an enlarged heart and underlying lung problems contributed to his death. He was 38 when he passed away.
External links[]
| The Goonies actors and actresses | |
|---|---|
| Main cast | Sean Astin • Josh Brolin • Jeff Cohen • Robert Davi • Corey Feldman • Kerri Green • John Matuszak • Joe Pantoliano • Martha Plimpton • Ke Huy Quan • Anne Ramsey |
| Secondary cast | Steve Antin • Curtis Hanson • Lupe Ontiveros • Mary Ellen Trainor • Keith Walker |
| Miscellaneous cast | Jeb Adams • Newton Dennis Arnold • Owen Bush • Patrick Cameron • Michael Paul Chan • Elaine Cohen McMahon • Ted Grossman • Orwin Harvey • Charles McDaniel • George Nicholas McLean • Jack O'Leary • George Robotham • Gene Ross • Max Segar • Paul Tuerpe • Eric Briant Wells |