The Indiana Jones Original Trilogy Extra Who (Technically) Died In All Three Movies
Few deaths in the “Indiana Jones” films as quite as unforgettable as that of Pat Roach’s Nazi mechanic in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Upon spotting Indy (Harrison Ford) duking it out with one of his fellow Nazi handymen near a plane preparing to take off, Roach’s nameless, burly villain smiles to himself as he removes his shirt, clearly itching for a fight. He proceeds to give Indy quite the thrashing and might’ve well won their match, had he bothered to turn around in time and spot the spinning airplane propellor bearing down on him.
Roach had a knack for playing the heel, starting with his run on the British wrestling circuit. Having earned a black belt in Judo before becoming the National Judo Champion in 1960, Roach spent the next decade wrestling under such personas as “Big” and “Lord” Pat Roach, squaring off against the likes of Dwayne Johnson’s grandfather, Peter Mavia, and André the Giant. Eventually, Roach’s antics in the ring landed the attention of none other than Stanley Kubrick, who cast him in an uncredited role as a “Milkbar Bouncer” in “A Clockwork Orange.” You can spot Roach standing aside Malcolm McDowell’s delinquent Alex and his “droogs” in the film’s famous long-take opening shot.
When he needed another prominent, brawny actor to engage in some fisticuffs with Ryan O’Neal’s titular character in “Barry Lyndon,” Kubrick once again turned to Roach, casting him as Corporal Toole. Roach’s fist-swinging in the film only brought him more attention, nearly landing him the role of none other than Darth Vader in “Star Wars.” Afterward, director George Lucas recommended Roach to his pal, Steven Spielberg, who liked Roach so much he cast him in all three films in the original “Indiana Jones” trilogy … and killed him each time.