I'm kinda resenting Steve Jobs right now. The man literally changed the world and I have been an Apple acolyte for as long as I can remember (I'm writing this on a MacBook, have an iMac at home, have owned no less than six iPods over the years, and am looking forward to pre-ordering the newest iPhone on Friday), but he had to die on the same day as an actor I loved, stealing even the nurgatory attention he might have otherwise recieved.
Charles Napier was one of the greats. An actor whose inherent masculinity was so abundent it crossed over to the side of self-parody. The first director to notice and take advantage of this was Russ Meyer, who used Napier to brilliant effect in several of his films. In SuperVixens he had his most memorable role as the crazed cop who kills Shari Eubank's SuperAngel when she mocks his inability to get it up in the presence of her "beautiful body".
A true working actor, Napier never failed to make an impression in the many, many projects he appeared in throughout his career. Not too long ago I watched what turned out to be his final performance in The Goods, an under-rated comedy where he was able to score laughs as an aging, racist car salesman. It once again reminded me how much he brought to the work he appeared in, and thinking about it now makes me realize how much I'm going to miss him.