James Hayden (November 25, 1953 – November 8, 1983) was an American actor from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Apart from starring on Broadway, he is best known for playing Patrick "Patsy" Goldberg in the 1984 film Once Upon a Time in America.
James Hayden | |
|---|---|
 Hayden as Patrick ‘Patsy’ Goldberg in the film Once Upon a Time in America | |
| Born | November 25, 1953 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 8, 1983 (aged 29) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1979–1983 |
Life and career
editHayden trained and served as a medic in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.[1] On his discharge, he returned to New York, attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and began working as an actor.[1]
In 1983, the year of his death, Hayden portrayed a heroin addict in the critically acclaimed Broadway play American Buffalo, co-starring with his close friend Al Pacino.[2][3]
According to The New York Times, on November 8, 1983, at 4:30 AM, Hayden was speaking to his estranged wife, on the telephone, when his voice suddenly ceased. Mrs. Hayden immediately called Hayden's physician, and the physician called the 911 emergency number over to Hayden's Manhattan apartment at 69th Street and Broadway. Police discovered Hayden slumped over the kitchen sink, telephone still in hand. On the floor of the kitchen, police had found a hypodermic needle and several glassine envelopes believed to contain heroin. He was pronounced dead at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. Just six hours before his death, he had received a standing ovation for his performance.[4]
In 1984, during the making of The Pope of Greenwich Village, Mickey Rourke dedicated his performance to the memory of Hayden.[citation needed]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Cruising | Cockpit Coke Man | (scenes deleted) |
| 1980 | Marilyn: The Untold Story | TV movie | |
| 1980 | The First Deadly Sin | Young Policeman | |
| 1981 | The Intruder Within | Harry Colman | TV movie |
| 1981 | The Nesting | GI #1 | |
| 1981 | The Patricia Neal Story | Martin Sheen | TV movie |
| 1984 | Once Upon a Time in America | Patrick "Patsy" Goldberg | Posthumous release |
References
edit- 1 2 Staff report (November 21, 1983). Obituary. Time
- ↑ Rich, Frank (October 28, 1983). Theater: Al Pacino, 'American Buffalo.' New York Times
- ↑ Nightingale, Benedict (November 6, 1983). Stage View: 'American Buffalo' Proves Its Quality. New York Times
- ↑ Freedman, Samuel G. (November 9, 1983). Actor Who Played An Addict Dies, Apparently Of Overdose New York Times
External links
edit
 | This article about a United States film actor born in the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
 | This article about an American theatre actor born in the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |