Sid Haig American film actor Date of Birth: 14.07.1939 Country: USA

Sid Haig: Biography of an American Actor

Sid Haig (Sidney Eddie Mosesian) was born on July 14, 1939, in Fresno, California, USA. He grew up in an Armenian-American community, with his father, Hayg Mosesian, working as an electrician. Haig began his career almost by accident. As a young boy, he struggled with motor coordination issues, which led him to take dance lessons. By the age of seven, Haig was earning money as a dancer in a children's Christmas show, and later became part of a vaudeville act.

Haig also showcased his musical talent, particularly in drumming. His parents bought him a drum set, and he explored various musical styles, including swing, country, jazz, blues, and rock 'n' roll. He found an easy way to make money through music and signed a recording contract. His single "Full House" was released in 1958 and reached the fourth spot on the charts.

While attending high school, Haig was encouraged by drama department head Alice Merrill to pursue an acting career. Merrill, a well-known Broadway actress, helped Haig make industry connections. She organized a double casting show where Hollywood professionals evaluated different actors to advance them to the final casting. Hollywood representative Dennis Morgan, a musical comedy star of the 1940s, recognized Haig's talent and cast him in a prominent role in a play.

Following this experience, Morgan advised Haig to further his education in the San Fernando Valley. Two years later, Haig enrolled in Pasadena Playhouse, a school attended by famous actors such as Robert Preston, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman. Haig later moved to Hollywood with his long-time roommate and Pasadena Playhouse classmate, Stuart Margolin.

Haig's first job as a film actor came in a student short film by Jack Hill from the University of California, Los Angeles, called "The Host." This marked the beginning of Haig's 40-year acting career, during which he appeared in over 50 films and 350 television episodes. He became a staple in Hill's films, such as "Spider Baby," "Coffy," and "Foxy Brown." Haig also regularly appeared in projects by producer and director Roger Corman. He participated in George Lucas's sci-fi film "THX 1138" and the 1971 James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever."

On television, Haig made a name for himself in series such as "Gunsmoke," "Mission: Impossible," "Charlie's Angels," "Jason of Star Command," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "MacGyver," "The A-Team," and "Emergency!" One of his most notable roles was as Spike, the leader of a motorcycle gang, in "Emergency!"

In 1992, Haig took a hiatus from acting due to frustration with the typecast roles he was offered: "I just didn't want to play stupid villains anymore. They kept giving me the same thing, just changing the clothes. It was silly, and I resented it. I wanted no part of that," he said. Haig stopped acting for five years, during which he pursued hypnotherapy and earned a certification as a hypnotherapist.

However, in 1997, Quentin Tarantino wrote a role specifically for Haig in his film "Jackie Brown," which revitalized his career. In 2000, Haig portrayed Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's debut film "House of 1000 Corpses." The role had a positive impact on his career, and he even won the Best Supporting Actor award at the 13th annual Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. Haig was also inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame. His character Captain Spaulding remains a cult figure in horror films to this day. Haig reprised the role in the sequel "The Devil's Rejects" and the film "3 from Hell."

For his involvement in "3 from Hell," Haig received the award for Best Actor at the 15th Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and an original prize for the Most Vile Villain at the first Scream Awards, shared with American actress Leslie Easterbrook. He was nominated for the category of Best Butcher at the Chainsaw Awards, but the award went to Tobin Bell for his role in "Saw II."

Throughout his career, Haig appeared in films such as "The Huntress," "Don Juan DeMarco," "The Hitman," "Lost Shoes," "The Choctaw Kid," "Galaxy of Terror," "The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo," "Brilliantovaya ruka," and "Jackie Brown." He also appeared in the sequel to Quentin Tarantino's well-known film, "Kill Bill: Vol. 2," as well as in movies such as "House of the Dead 2," "Night of the Living Dead 3D," "Brotherhood of Blood," "Dead Man's Hand," "Razor," "Grinder," and "Dark Moon Rising."

Haig worked with Rob Zombie again, albeit briefly, in Zombie's directorial remake of John Carpenter's 1978 film, "Halloween." Haig played the role of cemetery caretaker Chester Chesterfield. He also confirmed that he would reprise his role as Captain Spaulding in Zombie's animated film, "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto," and delivered on his promise. The film is currently in post-production.