Jim Siedow will be forever
remembered by horror fans as the
extremely creepy cook Drayton Sawer in
the 1974 groundbreaking horror classic
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and for chewing the scenery by reprising
his role in Tobe Hoopers 1986
follow-up The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre 2.
Siedow was born on June 12th 1920 in Cheyenne Wyoming and began his
acting career in his high school theater
department. He followed his acting
ambitions to New York City where he did
stage work until he was called to service
in World War II serving in the Army Air
Corp. After a distinguished military
career he settled in Chicago where he did
radio drama and met an aspiring actress
who soon became his wife Ruth. After
marrying in September of 1946 the couple
moved to Houston where Siedow settled
into a distinguished theater career
directing and starring in such varied
productions as Whos
Afraid of Virginia Woolf,
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
(as Big Daddy!), Happy
Birthday Wanda June,
Born Yesterday,
The Lion in Winter,
The Iceman Cometh,
After the Fall,
The Visit,
etc.
His career took a decidedly
different turn when he was cast by Hooper
in The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre. Siedow had a
field day with the part of Drayton Sawer.
Justifiably impressed with Siedows
performance, Hooper cast him once again
and expanded his villainous role in the
1986 Leatherface sequel. Jim
Siedows other filmwork was
regrettably minimal with roles as Mr.
Smith in The Windsplitter
and in the low-comedy Hotwire.
Additional work includes his role as
Howard Ives in the nuclear accident
TV-Movie thriller Red Alert
with Ralph Waite, William Devane,
Adrienne Barbeau, and Michael Brandon. He
also appeared as Totzke in a segment of
Amazing Stories
(Miss Stardust).
Sadly, the unforgettable Jim
Siedow died from emphysema complications
at age 83 on November 20th
2003 and is survived by his wife of 57
years Ruth as well as three children.
Hats off and a round of applause to an
unforgettable actor who put his unique
stamp on a great role. |