Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Dick Miller dead: Gremlins and Terminator actor dies aged 90

The actor made hundreds of screen appearances, including roles in 'The Howling', 'Fame', and 'The 'Burbs'

Clarisse Loughrey
Thursday 31 January 2019 08:14 GMT
Comments
Dick Miller stars in 1984 comedy horror Gremlins

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Dick Miller, best known for his role in the classic 1984 horror-comedy film Gremlins, has died, aged 90.

The actor enjoyed a career spanning more than 60 years, featuring hundreds of screen appearances, starting in 1955 when he starred in the Roger Corman western Apache Woman.

In 1959, he starred in cult horror A Bucket of Blood as Walter Paisley, reprising the role multiple times later in his career, including in 1981’s The Howling and 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie.

Born in the Bronx in 1928, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Miller served in the US Navy, before attending City College of New York, Columbia University, and New York University, attaining a PhD in psychology.

Alongside his role as Murray Futterman in Gremlins and its sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Miller also featured in the likes The ‘Burbs, Fame, and The Terminator.


He also worked frequently with high-profile directors such as James Cameron, Ernest Dickerson, Martin Scorsese, John Sayles and Joe Dante.

Dante featured Miller in almost every film he directed. On Twitter, he called Miller “one of my best friends and most treasured collaborators”, adding: “I always looked for a role for Dick – not just because he was my friend but because I loved watching him act!”

Miller is survived by his wife Lainie, daughter Barbara and granddaughter Autumn.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in