No More Acting

Eric The Actor is dead.  He was probably the most popular of the Wack Pack--the group of odd people who call in regularly to the Howard Stern radio show.

He first appeared in 2002, complaining about how unfair it was for the show to call American Idol contestant Kelly Clarkson unattractive.  It turned out Eric was a dwarf with an odd, halting voice and a nasty attitude--perfect for the Stern show.  He became a regular, and at first was known as Eric The Midget.  But that changed when he made his aspirations known.

Eric had no known talent, except being ill-tempered, but he thought he could make it as an actor.  And with the connections the Stern show offered, he got some roles. The funny thing was even though he wasn't exactly in demand, he'd refuse point blank to play certain parts, especially gay characters.

That was what was most fun about him.  You'd think he'd be thrilled at all the exposure the show gave him, but he was generally angry, swearing at any slight, real or imagined.

He also had a wish list of over a thousand items at Amazon.com.  And apparently fans bought him some of the stuff.  Not that he was ever grateful.

He'd always had medical issues, so--not unlike the early departure of another wack packer, Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, who also died at 39--you could sort of see it coming.  Still, his death is a shock.  Just yesterday I listened to a replay his first call. It'll be weird not to have any more to look forward to.