Charles Dierkop had more than 100 acting credits to his name, and although he was working well into the 21st century and as late as 2018, he was most famous for this work decades prior. In addition to being an occasional guest star on shows like "The Fall Guy," "Fantasy Island," and "MacGyver," he was a regular star of Angie Dickinson's "Police Woman," and had major roles in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting," and fans of cult classic horror will be familiar with him, too: He was Santa in "Silent Night, Deadly Night." (He's pictured above with Stacy King in "The Sweet Ride.")
Dierkop passed away on February 25, 2024. The official cause of death was a heart attack that he suffered after developing a severe case of pneumonia, and he passed away with his daughter at his side. She told Entertainment Weekly," I got to spend most of his last day with him in the hospital and was able to thank him for showing me how to live life in the most loving way."
He also starred in a 1967 episode of "Star Trek," and in 2017, he spoke with StarTrek.com. He said that he was happy to be able to pick and choose what roles he did take, that he remained a big fan of the theater, and although he tended to pass on big events and conventions, he always appreciated fans — and was shocked the first time he realized people recognized him from his one-episode appearance as Morla.
