Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Rockets Redglare(1949-2001)

  • Actor
  • Additional Crew
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Rockets Redglare
Monsters: Mr. Swlabr
Play trailer2:00
Mr. Swlabr (1990)
3 Videos
1 Photo
Rockets Redglare was born on 8 May 1949 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Big (1988), Down by Law (1986) and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). He died on 28 May 2001 in New York City, New York, USA.
BornMay 8, 1949
DiedMay 28, 2001(52)
BornMay 8, 1949
DiedMay 28, 2001(52)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Known for

Tom Hanks in Big (1988)
Big
7.3
  • Motel Clerk
  • 1988
Roberto Benigni, Tom Waits, and John Lurie in Down by Law (1986)
Down by Law
7.6
  • Gig
  • 1986
Madonna and Rosanna Arquette in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Desperately Seeking Susan
6.1
  • Taxi Driver
  • 1985
Nicoletta Braschi, Yûki Kudô, and Masatoshi Nagase in Mystery Train (1989)
Mystery Train
7.5
  • Liquor Store Clerk (segment "Lost in Space")
  • 1989

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor



  • Abnormal: The Sinema of Nick Zedd
    Video
    • 2001
  • Willem Dafoe and Edward Furlong in Animal Factory (2000)
    Animal Factory
    6.6
    • Big Rand
    • 2000
  • The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man
    7.4
    • 1999
  • Oz (1997)
    Oz
    8.7
    TV Series
    • Barber
    • 1999
  • Louis & Frank (1998)
    Louis & Frank
    3.5
    • Ralph
    • 1998
  • Dreamland
    • 1997
  • Fall (1997)
    Fall
    5.7
    • Performance Priest
    • 1997
  • Musical Shorts with Debi Mazar
    5.3
    TV Movie
    • Club Owner
    • 1996
  • Malik Yoba in New York Undercover (1994)
    New York Undercover
    7.9
    TV Series
    • Fat Roscoe
    • 1996
  • Jeffrey Wright in Basquiat (1996)
    Basquiat
    6.9
    • Rockets
    • 1996
  • Steve Buscemi in Trees Lounge (1996)
    Trees Lounge
    7.1
    • Stan
    • 1996
  • What About Me (1993)
    What About Me
    6.3
    • Frank - Raping Landlord
    • 1993
  • In the Soup (1992)
    In the Soup
    7.1
    • Guy
    • 1992
  • Craps
    Short
    • 1991
  • Force of Circumstance (1990)
    Force of Circumstance
    6.1
    • The Factor
    • 1990

Additional Crew



  • D.O.D.: Dick of Death
    6.4
    Video
    • production assistant
    • 1985

Videos3

Down by Law
Trailer 1:37
Down by Law
Down by Law: The Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray]
Trailer 1:32
Down by Law: The Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray]
Down by Law: The Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray]
Trailer 1:32
Down by Law: The Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray]
Monsters: Mr. Swlabr
Trailer 2:00
Monsters: Mr. Swlabr

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Rockets Red Glare
  • Born
    • May 8, 1949
    • New York City, New York, USA
  • Died
    • May 28, 2001
    • New York City, New York, USA(complications from kidney failure, liver failure, cirrhosis and hepatitis C)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Biographical Movie
    • 1 Article

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Two authors have claimed in their books that the actual murderer of Nancy Spungeon at the Hotel Chelsea in NYC in October 1978 was Rockets Redglare, according to the book This Ain't No Holiday Inn: Down And Out At The Chelsea Hotel 1980-1995 by James Lough. Sid Vicious, the punk musician and Nancy's partner, had been charged with this crime but died prior to trial. In his book Pretty Vacant: A History Of Punk, Phil Strongman also accuses Redglare of the murder.
  • Quotes
    "As long as you owe someone money you know they are always thinking of you".
  • Trademark
      Frequently cast in Jim Jarmusch and Susan Seidelman films.

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb app
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb app
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb app
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.