Editors note: Those of you who have been following my Twitter feed know that I have been trying nail this one down practically since the night it happened, with no luck. Seems his close friends found out, and told other close friends, and news of his death leaked out and appeared on a few movie blogs. But there was nothing official. Nothing in the L.A. Times. No death notice that I can find. We have standards at Satellite News, especially when it comes to reporting that somebody is dead, and though the sources I had who were telling me he had died were completely reliable, we don’t go with an obit unless we have an “official” source.
But today, the IMDB added a death date to his page, and that’s good enough for us.
LOS ANGELES — Ross Hagen, actor, voice actor and producer died of cancer at a hospital here May 7. He was 72.
MSTies will of course remember him as Rommel in the movie in episode 202- THE SIDEHACKERS and Sgt. Monte Chapman in the movie in episode 209- THE HELLCATS.
) to help our users cope with "trolls" and other commenters whom they find annoying. Go to our
I’ll always remember him for Wonder Women. The greatest movie ever made…
Chili peppers burn my gut, too… :-( Sad news
He managed to be likable in some of the most unlikable movies I’ve ever seen. I can’t think of much higher praise for an actor.
@ Sampo: But you’ll accept IMDb as an “official” source? :laugh:
That is sad news. MSTed or not, I thought Ross was fun to watch, and Sharktopus, I think you put it just right. He was very likable in his roles, and whatever the flaws of the movies, he certainly couldn’t be accused of crimes against acting.
Also, I just read the interview (thanks for the link, Sampo), and bonus points to Ross for using the word ‘sourpuss.’ I love that word.
Sadly, only love pads a film, and not the life of Ross Hagen. Is it me, or are people dying too young. Heck, I have uncles almost 90- and this poor guy along with Michael Pataki, John Phillip Law and Barbara Valetien don’t make it to 75?
For those of you following along at home, Ross is dead.
I like the anecdotes about Wonder Women and John Ashley in the interview.
I liked Ross Hagen. RIP.
Sad to see another star dim their light for the last time. A tip of my wool cap to you.
Rommel, you magnificent bastard! (I read your interview…)
That settles it. I’m hitting the track for a little sidehacking this weekend! WOOO! Who’s with me? RIP.
I finished “In Dubious Battle” by John Steinbeck over the weekend and for some reason, when the character Mac spoke, Ross Hagen’s voice went through my head. RIP.
I’ll eat a chili pepper in his honor. Seriously though, farewell, Mr. Hagen.
I think chili peppers are burning all our guts.
Ross, “go gentle into that goodnight”, you will be missed. :-((
Damn cancer. :cry:
RIP, Mr. Hagen.
After watching Sidehackers a few weeks ago I checked his bio on imdb and was surprised to see he was the voice of a character in one of my favorite games last year, Red Dead Redemption. Sorry to hear he died. RIP
R.I.P. Ross Hagen. I actually saw the uncut film before the MST3K version and really thought he brought class to an otherwise disasterous film. I will wear a Rommel hat in his honor today (if I can find one!)
Btw, Michael Pataki passed away last year. He had an interesting
career, movies and other. here’s some:
=============================================
(from Wikipedia)
“Film career
Pataki’s film credits include Rocky IV, in which he played Nicoli Koloff, the sports administrator for the Russian team. He played one of the mimes in Easy Rider. His first role was in 10 North Fredrick. He was also the district attorney in The Onion Field, and was Dr. Stone’s lab assistant in The Andromeda Strain. Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, American Anthem, Airport ’77, When Every Day Was the Fourth of July, The Baby and Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers are a few other notable titles.
Pataki has also had his fair share of B-movie roles. In Dracula’s Dog, he played opposite Reggie Nalder and José Ferrer as a descendant of Dracula who is stalked by a vampiric Doberman Pinscher. Other horror titles include Grave of the Vampire, The Return of Count Yorga, Dead and Buried, Terror at Alcatraz, Graduation Day, and The Bat People. He also directed Richard Basehart in Mansion of the Doomed. Pataki has appeared in three films that have been lampooned on the cult show Mystery Science Theater 3000: Superdome (ep. K15), Sidehackers (ep. 202), and It Lives By Night”
So sad to hear about this.
I loved Rommel! Didn’t I love him?
Your own brother you didn’t love more.
Imdb says his real name was Leland Lando Lilly, can’t blame him for changing it to Ross Hagan
So sad to hear this news. He did an outstanding voice-over as Lando Ricketts on Red Dead Redemption! RIP Ross….
Meant Landon, not Lando. =)
Meant Landon, not Lando. =)
R.I.P. Ross. You were ceartainly a great sidehacker.
Running through a field of weeds having a Sea Breeze moment for our Rommel. :(
RIP, you magnificent bastard.
He also appeared in the “Daktari” TV series, wonder if that was his stool…
Great stuff from everyone. Sad day for me, next to loving Hamburgers ( Because chili peppers burn my gut.) I loved Ross Hagen,he was my little Sidehacker. Cool dude, I loved seeing him dragged ( but when I say dragged I mean scraped, you know.) I have been looking for a Ross Hagen Jiffy Pop hat for years. I want, NO I WILL HAVE a M.S.T.3.K. PARTY and I will eat Chili Peppers ’till my gut burns. Now I’m going to sell some of my stuff so I can send flowers. Do you know anyone looking for tires,tools,etc. (“TIRES WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY TIRES, WE LOVE TIRES!”) Do you think he’s with J.C. right now?? (Not that J.C. but J.C. the biker.) He was man enough to hit BIG JAKE, I couldn’t believe it but we all seen him do it….
P A I S L E Y ! P A I S L E Y ! P A I S L E Y ! MOVE THE LADDER…………………..
It’s true, you know, that he WAS likeable in those horrible movies. I never really noticed that before.
RIP
RIP Ross. He is without a doubt the best part of Hellcats!
R.I.P you magnificent bastard. :bye: :weep:
IMBD ha’e it has he died on the 7th frae Cancer
Alas I liked him in Side Hackers and I liked him in Hellcats there was another movie where he played a fugative Alien and he fought some teenagers who were in there 30s and a female pro wrestler alien bounty hunter the name of the movie escapes me but i remember seeing it and saying ROSS HAGEN!
He came the closest to being the “hero” in that bloody, depressing, awful movie.
Ross was a buddy, even though we didn’t see much of each other the last two years. He was a gentleman, a great storyteller with lots of stories to tell, smart and with common sense, and just one of the most enjoyable people it has been my pleasure to know.
I hope that I can live my life with a fraction of the gusto and joy with which he faced his own, accepting that we all make crap, but it isn’t the end result that matters, it is the experience and the friends one makes while doing the work that means something.
Farewell, buddy – it was a pleasure to know you.
Nothing laaaaasts forever, only love, only love. SAvor the dreams you treasure, only love, only love.
We loved you Ross. A fine actor in some terrible movies, but a fine actor non the less.
Say hey to Rita for me
RIP, Mr. Hagen.
Like the founders of sidehacking (to quote the Sidehacking Song), will Ross be buried at Forest Lawn?
@Sharktopus:
Don’t really have much of a choice. I tried googling “ross hagen death” and got nowhere. Not one news outlet is reporting it.
@Rich
Which movie? They were both bloody and depressing. And bloody depressing!
Huh – was just watching him in “Click – The Calender Girl Killer.” Again, he plays a fairly likable guy in an otherwise smarmy disgusting movie… (Ironically, I also saw some actual sidehacking go by on the Speed channel last weekend – some sidecar race on the Isle of Wight).
But personally, my favorite Ross Hagen film is “Prison Ship: The Adventures of Taura” AKA “Starslammer”. He played the deranged, evil space cop with all of the over-the-top melodrama the role deserved. (I think #36 is remembering this one).
I think # 36 may be remembering Fred Olen Ray’s Alienator. RIP, Ross. You are missed. Sidehackers forever….
It’s not because I’m THAT big a Ross Hagen fan, or that Sidehackers is THAT great of an ep (although it’s a really strong 4 outta 5 in my book), and I’m aware that it’s a misquote from the movie, but the idea keeps popping back into my head to get a CHILI PEPPERS BURN MY GUT TATTOO across my stomach. Hmmm.
Thanks for posting the interview link. He seemed like a really cool and down-to-Earth guy, and as mentioned before, came across pretty well in some fairly scuzzy movies. He gave Sidehackers the only emotional resonance it had.
RIP, good sir.
well,Sidehackers was my first MST experience, back in 1990, I believe. In honor of Ross Hagen, I will have hamburgers, and none of those chili peppers!
Hellcats is one of my favorite MST episodes, it’s so silly while trying to be earnest at the same time. Those crazy hippie bikers taking Ross for a drag…..I mean scrape, whatever. “DON’T ASK” is one of the best riffs from the episode, because, honestly, that’s exactly what it looks like he’s conveying. Gonna watch it again (for the millionth time, ha ha) as soon as I can.
“Oh, altruism. Interesting!”
“Utah. I can’t believe I’m still in Utah.”
RIP.
L.A. Times has an obituary now, albeit with a rather amusing typo.
@ Cabbage Patch Elvis:
My buddy’s brother got a tattoo across his belly that says NO REGRETS. The delicious irony is completely lost on him. :laugh:
@ Bookworm:
Wow, Ross was 172 years old!
@Sharktopus:
A friend of mine has BAD ASS tattooed across his buttocks. He’s in a class by himself.