Charles Richard Dierkop (September 11, 1936 – February 25, 2024) was an American character actor. He is most recognized for his supporting roles in the films Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973) and the television series Police Woman (1974-1978).
Early years
Dierkop was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and attended Aquinas High School in La Crosse. He was raised by his aunt and uncle after his father left when Dierkop was an infant and his mother "left home when he was still a tot".
Military service
Dierkop dropped out of high school after his junior year and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in Korea during the Korean War and was discharged from the Marine Corps at age 19. Upon his return, he lived with his mother in Philadelphia, and with the help of the G.I. Bill, he enrolled in the American Foundation of Dramatic Arts in Philadelphia.
Career
Dierkop was a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. His first role as a professional actor was in television's Naked City.
Dierkop was cast in two George Roy Hill films, and played an outlaw both times — as "Flat Nose Curry" in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), he played a member of the Hole in the Wall Gang, and as "Floyd" in The Sting (1973), he acted as a bodyguard with Lee Paul to Robert Shaw's New York gangster/griftee, Doyle Lonnegan. He is best known for playing Detective Pete Royster on the television series Police Woman between 1974 and 1978.
Dierkop appears briefly in the music video of "Man on the Moon", a hit song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M.
Personal life and death
Dierkop was married to Joan Addis from 1958 to 1974. They had a daughter, Lynn, and a son.
On February 25, 2024, Dierkop died at the age of 87 from complications of pneumonia and a heart attack at Sherman Oaks Hospital in Los Angeles.
Partial filmography
Television credits
Further reading
- Aquinas News, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, September 18, 1975, vol. 45, no. 2, pg. 1, "Former Aquinite is TV Star"
- Aquinas News, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, September 2, 1978, Special 50th Anniversary edition, pg. 12, "Former Aquinite has his name in lights", Sue Schmidt, class of 1978.
References
External links
- Charles Dierkop at IMDb
- https://www.newspapers.com/image/30628818/?clipping_id=12820845&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjMwNjI4ODE4LCJpYXQiOjE3MjA3MTAzODIsImV4cCI6MTcyMDc5Njc4Mn0.BvSvGLC1c2OIb2FP62fD4pl8cpGsLo0-k8Db_-vOZ_M
