In the horror world, you would be hard pressed to find a more revered badass – bad guy tha Capt. Rhodes from Romero’s classic Day Of The Dead – and that is all because of the iconic performance of Joe Pilato. He didn’t play Rhodes, he was Rhodes.
Unfortunate, tonight I have to break the bad news that Joe Pilato has passed at the age of 70. According to reports – he passed in his sleep.
While Capt. Rhodes may have become his calling card – Pilato was no stranger to the genre scene having roles in Wishmaster and Pulp Fiction but the first thing I thought about upon hearing the news of his passing was a proof of concept short that he did with Robert Kurtzman where he played the role of Seth Gecko in From Dusk Till Dawn and well – was about as badass as they come. Have you ever seen it? Check it out if not – and watch it again if you have.
Doesn’t say a word – and doesn’t have too.
Joe was a fan favorite at cons – always having a great story to tell – and always warm and welcoming to all who stopped to see him.
His talent, personality and amazing abilities will be missed by all. RIP Joe.
The entire Gruesome Magazine family sends condolences to Joe’s family, friends and fans.
