Ernie F. Orsatti, best known for his unforgettable fall through a glass skylight in the 1972 movie The Poseidon Adventure, has died. He was 80 and passed Sept. 12 in La Quinta, Calif. from a hemorrhagic stroke, his son, Noon Orsatti, confirmed.
Ernie Orsatti was born in Beverly Hills on Feb. 13, 1940, to opera singer Inez Gorman and Ernie R. Orsatti, a former professional baseball player and double for Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. (1924). The younger Orsatti became a model and competitive swimmer before breaking into show business with appearances in the 1968 film The Acid Eaters and in The Green Berets, starring John Wayne.
He later had roles in the films The Mechanic (1972), The Last American Hero (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974) and Viva Knievel! (1977). He also appeared on TV shows Mannix, The Incredible Hulk, and Hill Street Blues.
In The Poseidon Adventure, the tale of an ocean liner capsized by a huge wave, Orsatti played Terry,...
Ernie Orsatti was born in Beverly Hills on Feb. 13, 1940, to opera singer Inez Gorman and Ernie R. Orsatti, a former professional baseball player and double for Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. (1924). The younger Orsatti became a model and competitive swimmer before breaking into show business with appearances in the 1968 film The Acid Eaters and in The Green Berets, starring John Wayne.
He later had roles in the films The Mechanic (1972), The Last American Hero (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974) and Viva Knievel! (1977). He also appeared on TV shows Mannix, The Incredible Hulk, and Hill Street Blues.
In The Poseidon Adventure, the tale of an ocean liner capsized by a huge wave, Orsatti played Terry,...
- 9/19/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Storied stuntman Ernie F. Orsatti, who is best known for falling 30 feet through a glass skylight in the 1972 film “The Poseidon Adventure,” has died. He was 80.
The Stunt Players Directory Facebook page confirmed his death, writing: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of legendary stuntman Ernie Orsatti. His impeccable work and contributions to the stunt community will live forever.” His son, Noon Orsatti, told The Hollywood Reporter that his father died on Sep. 12 in La Quinta, Calif., after experiencing a hemorrhagic stroke.
Orsatti got his start as a stuntman while acting in the disaster film “The Poseidon Adventure” in 1972 as Terry, the date of Pamela Sue Martin’s character. The film’s producer, Irwin Allen, informed Orsatti the day before the stunt was scheduled that he was to perform it, even though he had no experience in the field. However, after consulting with the film’s stunt coordinator,...
The Stunt Players Directory Facebook page confirmed his death, writing: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of legendary stuntman Ernie Orsatti. His impeccable work and contributions to the stunt community will live forever.” His son, Noon Orsatti, told The Hollywood Reporter that his father died on Sep. 12 in La Quinta, Calif., after experiencing a hemorrhagic stroke.
Orsatti got his start as a stuntman while acting in the disaster film “The Poseidon Adventure” in 1972 as Terry, the date of Pamela Sue Martin’s character. The film’s producer, Irwin Allen, informed Orsatti the day before the stunt was scheduled that he was to perform it, even though he had no experience in the field. However, after consulting with the film’s stunt coordinator,...
- 9/19/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
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