Whitney Rydbeck obit

R.I.P.: Whitney Rydbeck of Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI has passed away at age 79

 

He was not on the list.

Heartbreak comes frequently for Friday the 13th fans. The franchise has had a rough ride over the last couple decades, getting bogged down in legal issues and creative false stars. We get a video game, then the rug is pulled out from under it when it’s just getting started. A movie almost happens, then gets scrapped just weeks before filming was scheduled to begin. The Crystal Lake TV show was just a couple months from filming, then the showrunner gets fired. But worse than all of that is the fact that we’re in a time when actors from our beloved films are passing away very often. Just last month, we lost Erich Anderson, who was in the cast of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. Now Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI director Tom McLoughlin has broken the news that Whitney Rydbeck, who played the ill-fated paintball player Roy in his film, has passed away.

McLoughlin took to social media to write, “We lost not only a truly funny comedian and actor… but one of the most good hearted human beings I’ve ever known. God Bless You and Rest in Peace, Whitney Rydbeck. Our Loss is Heavens’ Gain.“

According to the birthdate listed online (March 13, 1945), Rydbeck was 79 years old. He had over 55 screen acting credits to his name, with his career stretching back to 1970. In addition to Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI, his credits include Sleeper, Love at First Bite, Rocky II, 1941, Battle Beyond the Stars, The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island, The Gambler: The Adventure Continues, Copacabana, and A Very Brady Sequel, as well as episodes of Scrubs, Party of Five, 7th Heaven, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Grace Under Fire, Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Simon & Simon, Highway to Heaven, Cagney & Lacey, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, M*A*S*H, Monster Squad, Far Out Space Nuts, Lassie, The Jimmy Stewart Show, and The Brady Bunch. He was the Whitney of the 1979 show Whitney and the Robot.

He was also one of the original crash test dummies in an iconic public service campaign that promoted seat belt safety, has died. He was 79.

His IMDb trivia page notes that he was a member of the Richmond Shepard Mime Troupe in the late 1960s and the drama director at Pasadena City College as of January 2003.

Rydbeck didn’t have much screen time in Jason Lives, but he brought his character to life in a memorable, endearing way in those brief moments. I have watched that movie many times, and there are many more viewings of it in my future. Roy will always be fun to watch, but there will be a bittersweet element to those moments now, knowing that Rydbeck is no longer with us.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Whitney Rydbeck’s family, friends, and fans.

 

Actor

The Oates' Valor (2007)

The Oates' Valor

7.5

Short

Mr. Hahn

2007

 

Julie Carmen, Frank Gorshin, and Scott Edmund Lane in Angels with Angles (2005)

Angels with Angles

4.7

Jack Benny

2005

 

John C. McGinley, Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins, and Judy Reyes in Scrubs (2001)

Scrubs

8.4

TV Series

Dennis

2005

1 episode

 

City Guys (1997)

City Guys

7.1

TV Series

Priest

2000

1 episode

 

Party of Five (1994)

Party of Five

6.8

TV Series

Mr. Trimble

1999

1 episode

 

Jean-Marc Barr and Ophélie Winter in What I Did for Love (1998)

What I Did for Love

3.9

Fauvette

1998

 

Striking Resemblance (1997)

Striking Resemblance

4.4

Dr. Baxter

1997

 

Linda Hamilton, Jeff Fahey, and Coolio in On the Line (1997)

On the Line

5.6

TV Movie

Bank Manager

1997

 

Queen Latifah, Erika Alexander, Kim Fields, Terrence 'T.C.' Carson, Kim Coles, and John Henton in Living Single (1993)

Living Single

7.7

TV Series

The Porter

1997

1 episode

 

ssn

7.9

Video Game

Dr. Adrian Mann

1996

 

Apollo 11 (1996)

Apollo 11

6.1

TV Movie

Reporter #1

1996

 

Jessica Biel, Beverley Mitchell, Barry Watson, David Gallagher, Catherine Hicks, Mackenzie Rosman, and Happy in 7th Heaven (1996)

7th Heaven

5.3

TV Series

Mr. Fowler

1996

1 episode

 

LL Cool J, Alfonso Ribeiro, Maia Campbell, and Kim Wayans in In the House (1995)

In the House

6.8

TV Series

Banker #2

1996

1 episode

 

A Very Brady Sequel (1996)

A Very Brady Sequel

5.9

Auctioneer

1996

 

John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and French Stewart in 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996)

3rd Rock from the Sun

7.8

TV Series

Mr. Kersey

1996

1 episode

 

Grace Under Fire (1993)

Grace Under Fire

6.4

TV Series

Reverend Bradley

1995

1 episode

 

Sela Ward, Swoosie Kurtz, Patricia Kalember, and Sheila Kelley in Sisters (1991)

Sisters

7.5

TV Series

Wilkings

1995

1 episode

 

Fudge (1995)

Fudge

7.0

TV Series

Man in Elevator

1995

1 episode

 

Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote (1984)

Murder, She Wrote

7.2

TV Series

Dr. Roy Blakely

Medical Examiner

Hastings

1989–1994

3 episodes

 

Murder of Innocence (1993)

Murder of Innocence

6.6

TV Movie

Principal

1993

 

I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989)

I Know My First Name Is Steven

7.7

TV Mini Series

Mr. Craft

1989

2 episodes

 

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

8.7

TV Series

Ensign Alans

1989

1 episode

 

Bette Midler, Cheech Marin, Roscoe Lee Browne, Billy Joel, Joey Lawrence, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Richard Mulligan in Oliver & Company (1988)

Oliver & Company

6.6

Additional Voice (voice)

1988

 

Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker in Simon & Simon (1981)

Simon & Simon

7.0

TV Series

Dr. Ivans

Reno

Harry Gleason ...

1982–1988

4 episodes

 

Paul Sorvino and D.W. Moffett in The Oldest Rookie (1987)

The Oldest Rookie

6.5

TV Series

1987

1 episode

 

Michael Landon in Highway to Heaven (1984)

Highway to Heaven

6.8

TV Series

Dr. Bonner

1987

1 episode

 

Superior Court (1986)

Superior Court

7.1

TV Series

Russell Friendly

1987

1 episode

 

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

6.0

Roy

1986

 

Copacabana (1985)

Copacabana

6.3

TV Movie

Minister

1985

 

You Can Learn A Lot from A Dummy

TV Mini Series

Larry

1985–1998

 

Linda Evans in Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983)

Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues

6.2

TV Movie

Teller

1983

 

Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless in Cagney & Lacey (1981)

Cagney & Lacey

6.8

TV Series

Crouse

1982

1 episode

 

The Magical World of Disney (1954)

The Magical World of Disney

8.4

TV Series

Bob Cochraine

1981

1 episode

 

The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981)

The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island

4.2

TV Movie

George (the robot)

1981

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Loni Anderson in The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980)

The Jayne Mansfield Story

5.2

TV Movie

Photographer

1980

 

Sybil Danning, George Peppard, Richard Thomas, Lara Cody, Darlanne Fluegel, Lawrence Steven Meyers, and Morgan Woodward in Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)

Battle Beyond the Stars

5.5

Saunders: Dr. Hephaestus' Staff

1980

 

The Baltimore Bullet (1980)

The Baltimore Bullet

5.9

Photographer

1980

 

Whitney and the Robot (1979)

Whitney and the Robot

7.0

TV Series

Whitney

1979

1 episode

 

1941 (1979)

1941

5.8

Daffy

1979

 

Gil Gerard and Erin Gray in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

6.9

TV Series

Hartsteen

1979

1 episode

 

Alan Alda, David Ogden Stiers, Gary Burghoff, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, and Loretta Swit in M*A*S*H (1972)

M*A*S*H

8.5

TV Series

Sgt. Hondo McKee

1979

1 episode

 

Rocky II (1979)

Rocky II

7.3

Sound Man

1979

 

George Hamilton in Love at First Bite (1979)

Love at First Bite

6.1

Male Commissare

1979

 

The Next Step Beyond (1978)

The Next Step Beyond

7.7

TV Series

1978

1 episode

 

Patrick Duffy in Man from Atlantis (1977)

Man from Atlantis

6.5

TV Series

Click Three

1977

1 episode

 

Grand Jury

6.0

DMV Clerk

1976

 

Monster Squad (1976)

Monster Squad

7.1

TV Series

Watchman

1976

1 episode

 

The Krofft Supershow (1976)

The Krofft Supershow

7.2

TV Series

Mr. Android (segment: Wonderbug)

1976

1 episode

 

Gordon Jump in Wonderbug (1976)

Wonderbug

6.3

TV Series

Mr. Android

1976

1 episode

 

Big John, Little John (1976)

Big John, Little John

7.2

TV Series

Mr. Fenton

1976

1 episode

 

Phyllis (1975)

Phyllis

6.4

TV Series

Keats

1976

1 episode

 

Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner in Switch (1975)

Switch

7.1

TV Series

Technician

1975

1 episode

 

Bob Denver, Patty Maloney, Chuck McCann, and The Krofft Puppets in Far Out Space Nuts (1975)

Far Out Space Nuts

6.2

TV Series

Prof. Rundspock

1975

1 episode

 

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Sleeper (1973)

Sleeper

7.1

Janus (uncredited)

1973

 

Jon Provost, Tommy Rettig, Lassie the Dog, and Lassie in Lassie (1954)

Lassie

6.5

TV Series

Gate Guard

1972

2 episodes

 

The Jimmy Stewart Show (1971)

The Jimmy Stewart Show

7.3

TV Series

Sid

1972

1 episode

 

Eve Plumb, Florence Henderson, Susan Olsen, Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, Maureen McCormick, and Barry Williams in The Brady Bunch (1969)

The Brady Bunch

6.8

TV Series

Page

1971

1 episode

 

Nanny and the Professor (1970)

Nanny and the Professor

7.1

TV Series

Colby (as Whitney Rybeck)

1970

1 episode

 

Director

Tom Faraday, Shawn Nelson, and Whitney Rydbeck in Master Class: Impersonal Actor (2011)

Master Class: Impersonal Actor

Short

Director

2011

 

Cinematographer

Tom Faraday, Shawn Nelson, and Whitney Rydbeck in Master Class: Impersonal Actor (2011)

Master Class: Impersonal Actor

Short

Cinematographer

2011