Charles Rocket, The SNL Cast Member Who Died By Suicide
NBCCharles Rocket during his brief stint on Saturday Night Live.
The next SNL member death story is one of the saddest and most mysterious. It concerns Charles Rocket, who died by suicide in 2005 at the age of 56.
Born on Aug. 28, 1949, Rocket joined the SNL cast during the 1980-1981 season. But his time on the show was brief. During a sketch about the TV show Dallas, Rocket dropped an expletive on live TV, quipping: “Oh man, it’s the first time I’ve ever been shot in my life. I’d like to know who the f— did it.”
At the time, the show was struggling with bad ratings, and Rocket’s expletive incited multiple complaints. He was let go alongside others as the show runners sought to reboot the franchise.
NBCCharles Rocket was dismissed from SNL after he dropped an expletive on live TV.
Despite his aborted Saturday Night Live career, however, Rocket’s acting career continued. He appeared in TV shows and movies including Dances With Wolves, Hocus Pocus, and Dumb and Dumber.
Despite this, however, it seems that Rocket was struggling.
On Oct. 7, 2005, he was found dead in a field in Connecticut. His throat was cut, but the state medical examiner ruled Rocket’s death a suicide. No motive is known, and Rocket left no note.
“He appeared to be happy,” one of Rocket’s former classmates told local media. “We didn’t know what Charlie was going to do. He was probably capable of doing anything. He was a character and fun.”
