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Rocket was cast for the , which followed the departure of the remaining members of the show's popular original cast and original executive producer Lorne Michaels . Singled out by new executive producer Jean Doumanian as the star of her new ensemble, Rocket was promoted as "kind of a cross between Bill Murray and Chevy Chase ." Rocket was given the role of anchor for the show's '' Weekend Update '' news Parody , and was featured in many sketches. The new cast (except for Joe Piscopo and later Eddie Murphy ) was not at all popular with audiences, a reflection, perhaps, of the overall poor quality of the writing. Though not very successful as the "Update" anchor, Rocket was somewhat of a standout due to his infamous "Rocket Reports" segments. (Viewers have noted, however, that his style on Weekend Update was evidently later adopted by Dennis Miller.) Rocket would eventually doom both his and Doumanian's tenures on the show with one word. The February 21 , 1981 episode hosted by '' Dallas '' star Charlene Tilton featured a parody of the famed "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of ''Dallas''. In the sketch, Rocket was shot in the chest by a sniper. At the end of the show when cast members traditionally gather around the host to say good night, Tilton asked Rocket how he felt about being shot. A Wheelchair -bound Rocket audibly mumbled that he'd like to know "who the Fuck did it", followed by the cast and audience reacting with shock and embarrassed laughter. The incident seemed to encapsulate all that was wrong with ''Saturday Night Live'' at the time, and both Rocket and Doumanian were soon fired (along with most of the writers and fellow cast members). Piscopo and Murphy were the only cast members to survive the ax, and new producer Dick Ebersol replaced most other cast members later. Rocket recovered from this early career setback and acted in many films, including '' Earth Girls Are Easy '', '' It's Pat '', '' Dances With Wolves '', and '' Dumb And Dumber '', often portraying the antagonist. On the small screen, he managed to secure a series of guest spots on several 1980s sitcoms, co-starred in the failed 1992 Comedy-drama series ''Tequila & Bonetti'', and played rival network president Ned Grossberg on the 1980s Cyberpunk series '' Max Headroom ''. As the 1990s wore on, beneficial roles were few and far between, as Rocket struck out in such " (as the character "Nym" in both games), " Descent 3 ," and " Age Of Mythology ." His final film role came in the 2003 movie ''Shade'', starring Sylvester Stallone and Melanie Griffith . On October 7 , 2005 , Rocket's body was discovered by police in his yard in Canterbury, Connecticut ; his Throat had been cut. The Connecticut state Medical Examiner later ruled his death a Suicide . He was 56, and is survived by his wife Beth and son Zane. Some fans were disappointed over the "tribute" on the October 22 , 2005 , episode of ''SNL'' (hosted by Catherine Zeta-Jones ). Declining to show even a short clip, the program simply displayed a brief title card on the way to a commercial. A more fitting tribute to Rocket came from radio personality and friend Brandon Vogt on WXCM-FM 97X. Vogt said, "Charles Rocket was a man who will be remembered for his great sense of humor and always someone of style and personality. He will be missed." FILMOGRAPHY # '' Shade '' (2003) # ''Bleach'' (2002) # ''New Suit'' (2002) # ''Normal, Ohio'' (2000) TV # ''Titan A.E.'' (2000) # ''Tex, the Passive-Aggressive Gunslinger'' (2000) # ''Carlo's Wake'' (1999) # ''Kôtetsu tenshi Kurumi'' (1999) TV # ''Dry Martini'' (1998) # ''Fathers' Day'' (1997) # ''Murder at 1600'' (1997) # ''The Killing Grounds'' (1997) # ''Tom and Huck'' (1995) # ''The Home Court'' (1995) TV # ''Steal Big Steal Little'' (1995) # '' Dumb & Dumber '' (1994) # '' It's Pat '' (1994) # ''Wagons East'' (1994) # ''Charlie's Ghost Story'' (1994) # ''Flying Blind'' (1992) TV # ''Brain Smasher — A Love Story'' (1993) # '' Short Cuts '' (1993) # '' Hocus Pocus '' (1993) # ''Wild Palms'' (1993) TV # ''Tequila and Bonetti'' (1992) TV # '' Delirious '' (1991) # '' Dances With Wolves '' (1990) # ''Honeymoon Academy'' (1990) # ''How I Got Into College'' (1989) # ''Murphy's Law'' (1988) TV # '' Earth Girls Are Easy '' (1988) # ''Max Headroom'' (1987) TV # ''Down Twisted'' (1987) # ''Miracles'' (1986) # ''California Girls'' (1985) TV # ''Fraternity Vacation'' (1985) # ''The Outlaws'' (1984) TV # '' Saturday Night Live '' (1980-1981) EXTERNAL LINKS
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