The world of acting is full of diverse talents, and many artists often prefer to specialize in specific genres in their films, whether tragic or comedic. This is because they believe their creativity shines more in one genre than the other, which helps them achieve the fame and success they desire faster in their careers. This is a principle believed by many in the field, including an American actor named Chuck Lamb, who specialized in playing just one role in the world of films and drama—the dead man. His corpse appears in a scene, whether due to an accident, murder by criminals, or even ghosts. Surprisingly, he excelled in this role to the extent that he became highly sought after in Hollywood, specifically for his ability to perform this role. He gained significant fame in the film industry despite his limited appearances.
Chuck Lamb lives in Ohio, United States, and works as a computer programmer. His entry into the world of cinema happened by chance when he was watching the famous American series Law and Order with his wife. He wished that one day his name would appear in the list of actors in any film or drama. That particular show caught his attention because, in most episodes, the lead detective “Jerry Orbach” would often be seen with a corpse in the first five minutes of the episode, making a witty comment about it. Lamb wished to be one of those corpses that Orbach talked about. He then thought to himself that if he could play the role of a corpse, it would be the easiest way to get some screen time and, therefore, have his name appear as he desired. He humorously told himself, “God gave me bags under my eyes, a pale complexion, and a bald head—I already look like a dead man walking.”
Given Lamb’s background as a programmer, he created a website and asked his wife to help him take photos of himself lying around the house in humorous poses, as if he were dead. After six weeks, his story garnered media attention. He appeared on the front page of The New York Times and started doing interviews on CNN and Good Morning America to talk about what he was doing. This helped Chuck Lamb land his first role as a dead man in the TV show What I Like About You, alongside Jenny Garth and Amanda Bynes. Since then, he has appeared in several shows and films, including ThanksKilling, Horrorween, and Vacancy. He recalls that when he first saw his name listed in the credits, he felt astonished, saying, “It was like I was a bald, heavy Cinderella flying up to cloud nine.”
Chuck Lamb explains that when it comes to playing a corpse, being a convincing dead person requires a lot of patience, making the production of television shows and films a very demanding job. He adds that in the film Stiffs, where he played a dead man after suffering a heart attack, he had to be placed in a body bag and carried up a flight of stairs before being dropped. That scene alone took more than eight hours to shoot because it had to be retaken more than eight times. Each time, he had to have his makeup redone to maintain the look of a dead man. Naturally, due to the physical strain of the role, he developed back pain and underwent four surgeries. As a result, after 12 years of playing dead roles, 60-year-old Chuck Lamb decided to retire. He admits he’s sad about the decision, but it has become too difficult to continue filming with his health issues.
Lamb says he hopes someone will carry on what he started and become the next dead man. He also adds that he wishes to play a part in The Walking Dead, as he’s a fan of the show, and he would love to appear in Law and Order since it was the series that inspired him to enter the world of acting.
