"You have failed me for the last time, Admiral"

This is kind of sad news for my fellow geeks (not to mention the fans, friends and family of the man). Actor, Michael Sheard has died at the age of 65.

Now some folks I've already broken this news to have said, "I don't know him."

And my reply is, "Yes you do!"

Michael Sheard played Admiral Ozzel in Empire Strikes Back (or I guess it's Star Wars: Episode V, now).

My very poor and tasteless joke (which I know only people who know Star Wars stuff will get) was.... for Star Wars fans, would the epitaph on his gravestone be:

"He's as clumsy as he is stupid."

Here's a bit of movie trivia for you though. Not only did Sheard play Admiral Ozzel in ESB, but he was also the actor that played the U-Boat Captain in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Adolf Hitler in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

ACTUALLY, he also played Hitler in several movies. Rogue Male (1976), The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission (1985), Hitler of the Andes (2003). (okay fine... I knew about the Indiana Jones role, but I pulled those other three from IMDB.com ... sue me.)


Dazzle your friends at the water cooler with that one.