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Eugene Roche

 
Actor: Eugene Roche
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Sep 22, 1928 in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Died: Jul 28, 2004 in Encino, California
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '70s-'90s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Mystery
  • Career Highlights: The Late Show, Slaughterhouse-Five, Foul Play
  • First Major Screen Credit: Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)

Biography

In another era, American actor Eugene Roche might have been a perfect next-door neighbor on Ozzie and Harriet; balding, slightly paunchy, with an open, jovial Midwestern face. Following theatrical work, Roche made a name for himself in a project which gave him no on-screen billing: the friendly kitchen employee who sang the brief "Ajax for dishes" ditty in a series of detergent commercials. Roche's breakthrough film was Slaughterhouse Five (1971), in which he played the likeable POW Edgar Derby, whose fascination with war souvenirs results in his perfunctory execution at the hands of his German captors. Not all of Roche's film roles were this benign: in Foul Play (1978), he is a professional assassin who impersonates his murdered archbishop brother, the better to draw a bead on the Pope during an American visit. A reassuringly familiar presence on TV, Eugene Roche also had regular roles on several series, including The Corner Bar (1972), Good Time Harry (1980), Webster (1984), Take Five (1987) and Lenny (1990). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Eugene Roche
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Eugene Roche
Born Eugene Harrison Roche
September 22, 1928(1928-09-22)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died July 28, 2004 (aged 75)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Character Actor, Commercial Pitchman
Years active 1961 - 2004

Eugene Harrison Roche (September 22, 1928 - July 28, 2004) was an American actor. He was the original "Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials.

Contents

Biography

Personal life

Roche was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Mary M. (née Finnegan) and Robert F. Roche, who was at the time serving in the U.S. Navy.[1] He was the father of nine children including actors Eamonn Roche, Brogan Roche, and Emmy Award- winning writer/producer Sean Roche. Roche died in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack, aged 75.

Career sketch, character roles

Roche made his Broadway debut in 1961 as a bit player in the play Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole with Darren McGavin and went on to act in Mother Courage with Anne Bancroft in 1963 and The White House with Helen Hayes in 1964. In Hollywood, Roche would go on to appear in myriad supporting character roles, both dramatic and comedic, that would define his acting career.

Television comedy would became his forte on with recurring roles on Soap (1977), Night Court (1984), and Perfect Strangers (1986), while choice support parts came his way on film, including The Late Show (1977) and Foul Play in (1978) with stars Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn.

Roche was also known on Airwolf as United States Senator William Dietz in the pilot episode "Shadow of the Hawke" in season 1 and as a drunken friend of Dominic Santini's named Eddie in the episode "Firestorm" in season 2.

All In The Family episode (as Pinky Peterson)

Roche also appeared as practical jokester "Pinky Peterson", one of Archie Bunker's buddies, on the hit CBS-TV series All in the Family. In a memorable Christmas Day episode called "The Draft Dodger" (Episode 146, 1976), Pinky, whose son was killed in the Vietnam War, has Christmas dinner with the Bunkers, and an acquaintance of Gloria and Mike (David Brewster, portrayed by actor Renny Temple), who was a draft evader living in Canada, at the time. Archie angrily confronted David over this and treated him harshly. Pinky calmly and respectfully disagreed with Archie's opinion, and defended David and said he would be honored to have dinner with him, as would his son. Roche reprised the role in a few more All in the Family episodes during the next couple of seasons.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ Eugene Roche Biography (1928-)

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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