Josip Elic, who many know from his roles in classics like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and the Twilight Zone, has died at the age of 98. Elic producer and manager Matt Beckoff revealed that Elic passed away on Monday in River Edge, New Jersey from a fall, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. Elric had been living in an assisted-living residence after living for more than a year in the home of Lee and Bert Meredith, where he started living after a previous fall in his New York Apartment. Elric is survived by his sister Helen (via THR).
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Elric has had several memorable moments throughout his movie and TV career, including one memorable scene in Mel Brooks’ The Producers, but one of his most renowned scenes was the sequence in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest where he gives Jack Nicholson’s character a ride on his back onto the basketball court.
That scene was actually improvised, as Nicholson ended up jumping on Elic’s back as they were watching everyone play basketball. Elic rolled with it and the rest is history.
Elic also showed up twice during The Twilight Zone‘s initial run, starring in the episodes The Obsolete Man and One More Pallbearer. Elic also appeared in projects like The Asphalt Jungle, The Untouchables, Follow the Sun, For Love of Ivy, and Black Rain.
