It’s always a joy to revisit The Goonies, Richard Donner’s iconic 1985 adventure that has become a timeless classic for generations.
The film’s cast was stacked with emerging stars, from a young Josh Brolin and Corey Feldman to Sean Astin, years before his Lord of the Rings fame. But behind the scenes, the story of one unforgettable character is tinged with tragedy.
John Matuszak, who portrayed the lovable and disfigured Sloth, passed away just four years after the film’s release. Beneath his memorable performance and towering physical presence lay a life marked by pain, addiction, and struggle, Yahoo! Movies reports.
At 6'7" and 280 pounds, Matuszak was truly larger than life. Before stepping into Hollywood, he made a name for himself in football. The NFL details that he was drafted in 1973 by the Houston Oilers, but it wasn’t until his 1976 move to the Oakland Raiders that he found his footing. A powerful defensive end, he helped lead the team to two Super Bowl victories. In a nod to his former team, Sloth even wears a Raiders shirt in The Goonies.
Known as “The Tooz,” Matuszak was a fan favorite but a polarizing figure in the locker room. His career was marred by chronic back pain and a growing dependency on painkillers and other substances. His wild behavior became the stuff of legend, from bar fights to nearly fatal overdoses, his intensity both on and off the field was often fueled by internal demons.
One infamous incident saw him slap and shake assistant coach Terry Robiskie during a heated argument; it took the entire team to break them apart. The crutch Robiskie broke over Matuszak’s head during the scuffle was later mounted and cheekily labeled “Biskie’s Tooz Pick.”
As a college athlete, Matuszak was already known for his violent outbursts, with newspapers often covering these. In one instance, he severely beat another student over a slight involving his girlfriend.
And in the NFL, after another breakup and a night of heavy drinking, he downed two sleeping pills at a bar and nearly died. Only the quick actions of his coach en route to the hospital saved his life.
Despite his intimidating size and public bravado, those close to him say Matuszak was deeply insecure and emotionally wounded. “He just couldn’t control himself,” said Raiders staffer Mike Ornstein. “He thought his body could handle anything.” His drink of choice? A triple Crown Royal with a beer chaser.
“He had a lot of childhood stuff to deal with,” recalled his former partner Stephanie Cozart. Two of his brothers had died from cystic fibrosis; one in infancy, the other at just two years old. “He was a therapist’s dream.”
He tried to get clean multiple times, checking into rehab twice but never completing the programs. In his autobiography Cruisin’ with the Tooz, he wrote: “I’ve hit damn near bottom. I don’t ever want to go back.” Sadly, Hollywood wasn’t the ideal environment for sobriety.
Matuszak leaned into a career in film and television, often cast as hulking henchmen or roughneck characters. In The Goonies, he endured five hours of prosthetic makeup each day to transform into Sloth, a role that would become his most beloved. He also appeared in films like The Ice Pirates and Caveman, and on TV in Miami Vice, The A-Team, and The Dukes of Hazzard.
But the fame and the roles weren’t enough to quiet his inner turmoil. In June 1989, Matuszak died of a drug overdose at the age of 38.
His autopsy revealed a lethal dose of the prescription painkiller propoxyphene, along with traces of cocaine and Tylenol. He also had an enlarged heart; a cruel irony, as many who knew him described him as a man full of love.
Though he may have been hidden behind prosthetics in his most iconic role, John Matuszak’s performance as Sloth left a lasting impression on pop culture. His life was complicated, his battles many, but he remains a symbol of both strength and vulnerability, a gentle giant whose legacy lives on.
And as his fellow Goonies would say: “Goonies never say die.”