Dick Miller  

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Richard Miller (December 25, 1928 – January 30, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 films, including many produced by Roger Corman. He later appeared in the films of directors who began their careers with Corman, including James Cameron and Joe Dante, with the distinction of appearing in every film directed by Dante. He was known for playing the beleaguered everyman, often in one scene appearances. Miller's main roles have been in films such as Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Explorers, Piranha, The Howling, A Bucket of Blood, The Little Shop of Horrors, Chopping Mall, Night of the Creeps, The Terminator, The 'Burbs and Small Soldiers.

He was, in the words of Cult Movie Stars (1991) a "scene-stealer in low-budget horror films".

Walter Paisley

Miller portrayed several fictional characters named Walter Paisley. As Miller noted, "I've played Walter Paisley five times now, I think." By 2011, the character name had actually appeared seven times on film and once in a theatrical production, with Miller providing six of these portrayals. The name first appeared in the Roger Corman film A Bucket of Blood. In that film, Paisley is a busboy who becomes an artist of sorts by killing his subjects and covering them in clay. In 1976, Miller once again played a character named Walter Paisley—this time a talent agent—in another Corman production, Hollywood Boulevard, directed by Allan Arkush and Joe Dante.

Dante cast Miller as another character named Walter Paisley in the 1981 film The Howling. This time, Paisley is the owner of an occult bookshop. Two years later, the name popped up again for another Miller character, the owner of a diner in the third segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie. 1986's Chopping Mall featured a janitor named Walter Paisley, and the 1994 made-for-TV remake of Shake, Rattle and Rock! had Miller playing a character named Officer Paisley. Officer Paisley also appeared in Night of the Creeps. Additionally, two other actors have portrayed the A Bucket of Blood character. Anthony Michael Hall played the character in the 1995 television remake, while James Stanton portrayed the character in a musical produced by Chicago's Annoyance Theatre.

Filmography