Glenn Shadix made pretentious supporting characters funny without treating them as disposable. We value him most in Beetlejuice, where Otho’s self-importance gives the ghost comedy another kind of nuisance to deal with.
Fi1m perspective
Otho, the interior decorator in Beetlejuice (1988), has the sort of self-importance that can survive almost any company. Glenn Shadix makes that pretension worth watching, rather than merely giving us permission to laugh at it. We laughed because Otho takes himself so seriously; Shadix allows him the dignity of not knowing how ridiculous he is. In Tim Burton’s ghost comedy, he is a good reason to look beyond Michael Keaton’s bad behaviour.
The part was his screen breakthrough, and it remains the sensible place to begin with his work. Father Ripper in Heathers (1989) followed, while Demolition Man (1993) gave him the supporting role of Associate Bob. These were supporting parts, and his later work included television appearances and animation. There is no need to turn that career into a story of a leading man overlooked: giving a small character a particular kind of foolishness is worthwhile work.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) makes the case for listening to him as well. As the voice of Halloween Town’s two-faced Mayor, Shadix belongs comfortably among characters whose grotesqueness does not prevent them being funny or deserving affection. Henry Selick directs, and Danny Elfman’s music supplies much of the pleasure; Shadix is one contributor to a film whose animation and songs deserve most of the praise. We recommend it readily, with the reservation that the story becomes thin between those songs.
Burton returned to him for Senator Nado in Planet of the Apes (2001), continuing an association established with Otho. The limitation is that the eccentric supporting character can become a narrow assignment, however well an actor fulfils it. Nor does Shadix’s presence repair the wandering story in Beetlejuice, which we forgive for its humour and warmth towards the dead. Start there, and do not spend the whole evening waiting for Keaton to return.
Biography
Glenn Shadix (1952–2010) was an American actor. Born William Glenn Shadix in Bessemer, Alabama, he attended Birmingham-Southern College for two years before moving to New York and then Hollywood in the late 1970s. He worked as a stage actor for nearly twenty years.
Shadix gained prominence with his role as Otho in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988). Burton subsequently cast him as the voice of the Mayor of Halloween Town in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and as Senator Nado in Planet of the Apes (2001). Other film credits include Heathers (1989), Demolition Man (1993) and Sleepwalkers (1992). Television work encompassed Seinfeld, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and voice roles in Teen Titans and Dinosaurs.
