Art LaFleur (September 9, 1943 – November 17, 2021) was an American character actor and acting coach.

Art LaFleur
Born(1943-09-09)September 9, 1943
DiedNovember 17, 2021(2021-11-17) (aged 78)
OccupationActor
Years active1978–2017
Children2

Life and career

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LaFleur was born in Gary, Indiana.[1] He played football in 1962 as a redshirt at the University of Kentucky under Coach Charlie Bradshaw as chronicled in a 2007 book, The Thin Thirty.[2] He was a sportscaster on ESPN and on CBS.

LaFleur has had many guest-starring roles on television series, including Angel and JAG.[3] In 1983, he was cast in the ABC sitcom pilot Another Ballgame alongside Alex Karras and Susan Clark. The series went through many development changes before its fall premiere, with Emmanuel Lewis being added to the show and LaFleur being dropped from the regular cast. Once the final change to the series title was made (to Webster), LaFleur was kept only as a guest star in the pilot.

In 1993, LaFleur played baseball player Babe Ruth in The Sandlot.[3] He had another notable role as the eccentric and obsessive character Red Sweeney (Silver Fox), in the 1995 family comedy film Man of the House. He also appeared in one episode of the television series M*A*S*H,[3] in season 9 ("Father’s Day”) as an MP, looking for the people responsible for a stolen side of beef. LaFleur played US Army soldier, Mittens in the 1985 science fiction film Zone Troopers.

In addition to playing Babe Ruth, LaFleur also appeared as baseball player Chick Gandil of 1919 Black Sox infamy, in Field of Dreams. In terms of military and national security film roles he appeared as the White House's security chief in Disney's First Kid (1996), as "McNulty" in both Trancers (1985), Trancers II (1991) and as 1st Sgt. Brandon T. Williams in In the Army Now (1994). He played pilot, Jack Neely in Air America (1990), appeared as Banes in The Replacements (2000) and in Beethoven's 4th (2001) as Sergeant Rutledge. He also played Red Sweeney in Disney’s “Man of the House” in 1995.

LaFleur played a coach for the New York Yankees in the 1992 film, Mr. Baseball. He also appeared in The Santa Clause 2 in 2002 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause in 2006, both times as the tooth fairy.[3] In 2005, he appeared in Hostage as a deputy sheriff of Bruce Willis. In 2009, he appeared in the Direct-to-DVD film Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective and in the Science-Fiction horror film The Rig.

He also appeared on House M.D. in 2005 as Warner Fitch, in the episode entitled "Sports Medicine." He also appeared on Home Improvement as Jimbo in season 1 episode 7 (Nothing More Than Feelings).

The Gary SouthShore RailCats, LaFleur's hometown professional baseball team recognized him with a special bobblehead and first pitch ceremony on July 20, 2019.[4]

LaFleur died from atypical Parkinson's disease on November 17, 2021, at the age of 78.[3][5]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 Rescue from Gilligan's Island Ivan TV movie
1980 The Hollywood Knights Thomas
Any Which Way You Can Baggage Man #2
M*A*S*H M.P. Season 9 Episode 4 "Father's Day"
1982 Cannery Row Doorman
Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal Homeowner TV movie
I Ought to Be in Pictures Baseball Fan
In the Custody of Strangers Clifford TV movie
Two of a Kind Cook TV movie
Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again Clock Repairman
1983 Sometimes I Wonder Joe TV movie
The Invisible Woman Phil TV movie
Who Will Love My Children? Krause TV movie
WarGames Sergeant Ginzberg
Emergency Room Colon TV movie
1984 Unfaithfully Yours Desk Sergeant
Sins of the Past TV movie
Boys in Blue Stanley Singleton TV movie
City Heat 'Bruiser'
1985 Trancers McNulty
The Man with One Red Shoe CIA Agent
Zone Troopers Mittens
1986 The Fifth Missile 'Animal' Meslinsky TV movie
A Winner Never Quits John Stewart TV movie
Cobra Captain Sears
Say Yes Ernest
Little Spies Sergeant Westwood TV movie
Penalty Phase Pete Pavlovich TV movie
1987 Rampage Mel Sanderson
The Three Kings TV movie
Scarecrow and Mrs. King Rodney Hobart Season 4 Episode 18 "One Flew East"
1988 The Wrong Guys Woody Winslow
The Blob Pharmacist / Mr. Penny
1989 Field of Dreams Chick Gandil
1990 Keaton's Cop Detective Ed Hayes
Air America Jack Neely
Death Warrant Sergeant DeGraf
1991 Oscar Officer Quinn
Trancers II Old McNulty
Acting Sheriff Captain Van Patten TV movie
Home Improvement Jim Season 1 Episode 7 "Nothing More Than Feelings"
1992 Live! From Death Row Lockart TV movie
Doogie Howser, M.D. Shooting Range Instructor Season 4 Episode 3 "Doogie Got a Gun"
Mr. Baseball Skip
Forever Young Alice's Father
1993 Jack the Bear Mr. Festinger
The Sandlot Babe Ruth
1994 Maverick Poker Player
In the Army Now 1st Sergeant Brandon T. Williams
1995 Man of the House "Red" Sweeney
1996 First Kid Secret Service Agent Morton
1997 Running Time Warden
Hijacking Hollywood Eddie
Lewis and Clark and George Fred
1998 The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon Gus Rogenheimer TV movie
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning 'Big Joolie' Direct-to-video
The Tony Danza Show Mr. Paxton Episode: "Vision Quest"
1999 Last Chance Jimmy
Tycus Shyler Direct-to-video
2000 The Replacements Banes
2001 Beethoven's 4th Sergeant Rutledge Direct-to-video
2002 The Santa Clause 2 Tooth Fairy
2004 A Cinderella Story Football Coach
Breaking the Fifth Abraham Polinsky
2005 Malcolm in the Middle Fred 1 episode
Hostage Officer Bill Jorgenson
McBride: Tune in for Murder Armen TV movie
2006 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Tooth Fairy
2007 Shiloh Falls Sheriff
2008 Bad Guys Shep
Speed Racer Fuji Announcer
2009 War Wolves Leo TV movie
Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective Russell Hollander Direct-to-video
2010 Ilegales Agent Wallace
The Rig Ken Fleming
Dahmer vs. Gacy Dr. Hess
2012 Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen Art
Ben and Kate Mr. Carlson 1 episode
2012-2013 Have You Met Miss Jones? Lou 'Limo Lou' 2 episodes
2013 House Hunting Don Thomson
A Snow Globe Christmas Mr. Barns TV movie
2015 Key and Peele Father 1 episode
2016 The Last Treasure Hunt Robert Sinclair Voice role
2017 Dive Dad Final role

References

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  1. ^ ‘The Sandlot’ and ‘Field Of Dreams’ actor Art LaFleur has died
  2. ^ Smith, Mike (January 25, 2011). "Interview with Art LaFleur". Media Mikes. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Tapp, Tom (November 19, 2021). "Art LaFleur Dies: 'Sandlot,' 'Field of Dreams,' 'Santa Clause' Actor Was 78". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "RailCats Announce Double-Header Set for July 20 vs. The Dogs". 3 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Art LaFleur, Actor in 'The Sandlot' and 'Field of Dreams,' Dies at 78". The Hollywood Reporter. 20 November 2021.
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