Irwin Keyes, the actor best known for his roles as Wheezy Joe in Intolerable Cruelty and Ravelli in House of 1000 Corpses, died Wednesday. He was 63.
Keyes died in Playa del Rey, California due to complications from acromegaly, which causes abnormal growth in the hands, feet and face caused by the overproduction of growth hormone in the pituitary gland, his manager Phil Brock told the Hollywood Reporter.
The actor, originally from New York City, also starred as Joe Rockhead in The Flintstones (1994) and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000). Keyes also had a role as George Jefferson’s bodyguard on the long-running CBS show The Jeffersons.
Musician and film producer Rob Zombie, who worked with Keyes on House of 1000 Corpses, remembered the actor with a post on his Facebook page Wednesday. “I have just heard the terrible news that our friend Irwin Keyes has passed away. Irwin was a cool guy and a big part of the House of 1000 Corpses family. He will be missed by us all," Zombie wrote.
Keyes is survived by his wife of seven years, Tracy Fontaine.
I have just heard the terrible news that our friend Irwin Keyes has passed away. Irwin was a cool guy and a big part of the House of 1000 Corpses family. He will be missed by us all.
Posted by Rob Zombie on Wednesday, July 8, 2015
image courtesy of INFphoto.com