Whitney Rydbeck, best known for his memorable performance in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, died Monday from complications of prostate cancer.
Rydbeck, who had a prolific career as a film and television actor, appearing in more than fifty shows and films, took his last breath while in hospice care in Chatsworth, California.
His longtime friend Tommy McLoughlin confirmed his death, aged 79, The Hollywood Reporter.
On Saturday morning, McLoughlin paid tribute to Rydbeck in an emotional Instagram tribute.
“We have not only lost a truly funny comedian and actor… but one of the kindest human beings I have ever known,” the 74-year-old film director wrote.
Whitney Rydbeck, best known for his memorable performance in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, died Monday from complications of prostate cancer.
Fans took to the comments section to mourn the loss of Rydbeck and share their favorite memories of him on film.
“He brought so much to Jason Lives, his comedy, his panic, his naivety, his lack of paintball skills. But a generation based on just a few minutes of airtime remembers this guy when he goes paintballing. A sad loss, really. ,” wrote one.
Another commented: “Wow, that’s very sad news. He was great and Jason Lives is very memorable and funny.”
“I’m so sorry for his loss… his mark on F13 is one of the most memorable,” added a third.
A handful of his followers praised how Rydbeck “did so much with such a limited role” in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and how he would be “missed.”
Others referred to the late star as an “eternal legend” and a “scene stealer!”
Rybeck was born in Los Angeles on March 13, 1945 and graduated from Pasadena High School before attending Pasadena City College and then Cal State Fullerton to study drama.
She made her small screen debut with a small role in Nanny and the Professor in 1970.
Throughout his long career, Rydbeck had small, but notable, one-episode appearances on shows such as The Brady Bunch, M*A*S*H, Big John, and Switch.
In Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, the actor, who played a character named Roy, shot Jason Voorhees with a paintball gun, before being killed by the fictional villain known for wearing a hockey mask.
Rydbeck, who had a prolific career as a film and television actor, appearing in more than fifty shows and films, finally took his last breath while in hospice care in Chatsworth, California.
His longtime friend Tommy McLoughlin confirmed his passing at age 79 to The Hollywood Reporter and on Instagram.
His other credits include 1941, Rocky II, Oliver and Company and Woody Allen’s Sleeper, in which he played a silent robot. The actor’s last big screen appearance was in Angels with Angles.
Those who grew up in the 1980s may also remember him as part of the duo Larry and Vince, PSA’s comic book crash test dummies that promoted seat belt use.
The series of ads was part of a safety campaign titled “You Could Learn a Lot from a Fool.”
In 2010, Rydbeck said: The Washington Post He practiced what he preached, fearing a headline that might read, “Actor who played Crash doll died from not buckling up.” “I always buckle up, I can assure you,” he told the publication.