Actor Jonathan Haze, known for playing Seymour Krelborn in the original The Little Shop of Horrors, has passed away at the age of 95.
Reports say he died at his home in Los Angeles over the weekend, but the cause of death has not been shared. His daughter, Rebecca, confirmed his passing to The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. Haze’s representatives did not give any comments.
Jonathan Haze was born as Jack Schachter in April 1929. He began his film career at the age of 25, making his debut in the 1954 horror-comedy Monster from the Ocean Floor, where he played a character named Joe.
He went on to act in smaller roles in films like The Fast and the Furious and East of Eden. In 1955, he played Billy Candy in the Western movie Five Guns West, directed by Roger Corman.
This movie started a strong working relationship between Haze and Corman. Haze appeared in almost 20 films directed by Corman, making their partnership an important part of his career.
Haze’s most famous role was in the 1960 dark comedy The Little Shop of Horrors, also directed by Corman. In this movie, he played Seymour Krelborn, a clumsy florist shop worker who discovers a strange, bloodthirsty plant.
The plant, named Audrey II, needs human blood to survive, leading Seymour into a series of wild and dangerous situations. The film became a cult classic over the years and inspired many adaptations.
It led to a successful off-Broadway rock musical created by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman in 1982. The story was later turned into a film musical in 1986, directed by Frank Oz and starring Rick Moranis as Seymour. Even an animated children’s series called Little Shop aired for one season on Fox Kids in 1991.
Haze worked with Corman several more times, including in the 1963 supernatural horror film The Terror. This movie was co-directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starred Haze’s Little Shop co-star, Jack Nicholson.
Jonathan Haze’s final film role was in the 2010 mystery movie Nobody Smiling. His contributions to classic films and his memorable performance in The Little Shop of Horrors have left a lasting impact on the world of cinema, especially in the genre of dark comedies and cult classics.
Fans of The Little Shop of Horrors and Haze's work will remember him as the original Seymour, whose character's journey with a bloodthirsty plant continues to entertain audiences through its many adaptations.