Visiting a galaxy far, far away...
May Darth Vader haunt your dreams no more.
RIP Admiral Ozzel
Michael Sheard
1940-2005
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Michael Sheard, who played the unfortunate Admiral Ozzel in "The Empire Strikes Back," died Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the age of 65.
He died in his home on the Isle of Wight after a battle with cancer, according to published reports.
Sheard was born June 18, 1940 in Aberdeen, Scotland and was the son of a minister of the kirk. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and later served two years in the Royal Air Force.
He began winning British TV roles in the '60s on shows like "Dixon of Dock Green" and "Crossroads." He appeared in numerous "Doctor Who" episodes over 20 years, and was seen as a possible candidate to play Doctor Who at one point. He was also known as the terrifying teacher Mr. Bronson on the teen soap "Grange Hill."
Sheard played Adolph Hitler four times on TV and once on the big screen in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." His career was also dotted with roles as Heinrich Himmler (in two films and one mini-series) and various other Nazi-era Germans.
American audiences will best remember him as Admiral Ozzel, whose death George Lucas considered one of the best in film. In the scene, Darth Vader speaks to the Admiral on screen and uses the force to strangle him to death from afar. Sheard capitalized on his "Star Wars" fame by frequenting sci-fi conventions. His film career spans more than 30 years, and he's worked opposite Lawrence Olivier, Sean Connery, Roger Moore and David Niven.
Sheard wrote a multi-part autobiography, beginning with "Yes, Mr. Bronson: Memoirs of a Bum Actor." A portion of the sales from the fourth volume was used to raise money for cancer research.
Sheard is survived by his wife, Ros, and three children.