Famous Horror Film Actor Passes Away At 95

Jonathan Haze, the actor best known for his role as Seymour Krelborn in the original 1960 film ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ has passed away. He was 95.

His daughter, Rebecca Haze, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he died at his Los Angeles home on Saturday.

Haze, originally named Jack Aaron Schachter, was born on April 1, 1929, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Renowned as an actor, producer, and screenwriter, Haze achieved his greatest acclaim for his role as Seymour Krelboined in the 1960 cult classic “The Little Shop of Horrors.”

Little Shop of Horrors

Haze portrayed the clumsy florist’s assistant, Seymour Krelboined, who tends a man-eating plant. The film, completed in just two days, not only became a cult phenomenon but also inspired a successful stage musical and a 1986 movie remake.

“It was filmmaking really at its basis,” Haze said in a 2001 interview. “We were shooting on skid row using real bums; we were paying them 10 cents to walk through the scene,” Haze humorously described the gritty, barebones production approach on the set of ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’

“The sweetness of it… we really believed what we had to say to each other. We just were impassioned and shyly, desperately enamored.”

Haze used a baseball analogy to convey how everything seemed to come together perfectly during the making of “Little Shop of Horrors”, resulting in its cult status. “Some days you get home runs, some days you strike out,” he said. “That was a home run situation.”

The son of Betty and Harry Schachter, a jeweler, Haze had a familial connection to the arts through his cousin, the famous jazz drummer Buddy Rich. Before his film career took off, Haze managed the stage for Josephine Baker. His big break in acting came unexpectedly when director Wyott Ordung spotted him while he was working at a gas station, leading to his casting in Roger Corman’s 1954 film, “Monster from the Ocean Floor.”

Farewell to Jonathan Haze, the original Seymour. pic.twitter.com/jaDgKGuSt5

— Ian W. Hill (@geminicollision) November 5, 2024

Over the next decade, Haze would become a staple in nearly 20 films directed by Roger Corman, marking a significant phase in his career. His notable roles included appearances in “Apache Woman” (1955), “Day the World Ended” (1955), “Gunslinger” (1956), “It Conquered the World” (1956), and “Not of This Earth” (1957).

Transitioning from acting, Haze expanded his creative pursuits into screenwriting and production. He penned the script for “Invasion of the Star Creatures” (1962) and contributed to the production of several other films, including “The Premature Burial” (1962) and “The Terror” (1963).

Haze’s personal life included a marriage to costume designer Roberta Keith in 1960, which lasted until their divorce in 1981. Haze is survived by his two daughters, Rebecca and Deedee Haze; grandchildren Andre Bryant, Rocco Haze, and Ruby Bryant; and his great-grandson, Sonny Haze.

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