The actor behind Sloth, The Goonies’ monster, passed on over three decades ago. He died four years after the adventure comedy film was released, yet his legacy lives on through the character he embodied in the 1985 film directed by Richard Donner. Now a pop culture icon, Sloth’s long-lasting acclaim is strapped to the distinctive attributes of the character and what he represents in the real world. Despite his monstrous physique and the dread he invokes, Sloth is light-hearted and cheerful, especially when interacting with the Goon Docks kids.
His frightening appearance and childlike innocence set him apart as a spellbinding character in the movie based on a Steven Spielberg story. Apart from the fascinating complexities the character inhabits, Sloth’s relevance hinges on the character’s meaningful allusion to the menace of child neglect and abuse. Sloth’s backstory reveals he wasn’t born a monster: he was a normal child who became deformed after his mother dropped him on his head several times. He grew up without the needed care and was often abandoned in his family’s basement.
John Matuszak Played The Monster In The Gonnies
Sloth was portrayed by late American NFL player John Matuszak, who later became an actor. The Wisconsin native first came to mainstream attention as an NFL player. Growing up in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Matuszak was mocked because of his lanky physique, which drove him into strength training. Having gained a muscular form, he began playing football as a defensive lineman at Oak Creek High School. Following an adventurous college career at Iowa Central Community College, the University of Missouri, and the University of Tampa, Matuszak kicked off his career in professional football.
John Matuszak was selected by the Houston Oilers—as the first pick of the 1973 NFL Draft. While he also played for the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins, Matuszak spent most of his professional career with the Oakland Raiders. He played for the team from 1976 to 1982, winning two Super Bowls in the process. Upon his retirement from professional football, he began pursuing acting, leading up to his portrayal of The Goonies’ monster.
He Debuted As A Professional Actor In 1979’s North Dallas Forty
John Matuszak fell in love with acting as a child. This was after he saw Nicholas Ray’s 1955 romantic drama film Rebel Without a Cause. He fantasized about becoming an actor thereafter, but nothing came of it until 1979. While he was still playing professional football with the Raiders, Matuszak pulled off his acting debut as O.W. Shaddock in Ted Kotcheff’s sports film North Dallas Forty. His incredible performance in the movie paved the way for him to penetrate Hollywood. The defensive end landed another movie role in 1981, starring alongside Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Dennis Quaid, and Shelley Long in Carl Gottlieb’s Caveman.
John Matuszak fully embraced acting after a debilitating injury forced him into retirement in 1982. He made his small screen debut that year, appearing in the “Promotion Commotion” episode of M*A*S*H and as Joe McGurski in the “Cause for Concern” episode of Trapper John, M.D. Matuszak consolidated his growing Hollywood reputation with roles in dozens of television productions in the years that followed. He also portrayed various characters in big-screen projects like The Ice Pirates, One Crazy Summer, and Down the Drain, which was released after his death. None of these roles has enjoyed enduring acclaim like Sloth, The Goonies’ monster.
John Matuszak Died Of Accidental Overdose In June 1989
Right from his days as a college football player, John Matuszak’s talent was often overshadowed by his lifestyle. He was known for his excessive indulgence in drugs and alcohol, a habit that ultimately led to his demise. Matuszak’s lifestyle had him struggling as a professional footballer. Things didn’t change when he became an actor, as his addiction landed him in a rehabilitation center. He talked about this in his 1987 autobiography Cruisin with the Tooz. “I take nothing, not even sleeping pills. I’ve hit damn near bottom. I don’t ever want to go back,” wrote The Goonies’ monster actor.
Unfortunately, he relapsed. Cocaine metabolite was detected in his blood after he died at age 38. However, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office reported that it didn’t contribute to the actor’s death. John Matuszak died from an accidental overdose of a prescription drug. He overdosed on Darvon, which was prescribed for his back pain, a condition that warranted his retirement from the NFL. Following the overdose, he suffered a heart failure triggered by bronchopneumonia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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