Jonathan Haze
The harried actor who brought Seymour Krelborn to life in Roger Corman's cult classic 'The Little Shop of Horrors.'
1929–2024 (age 95)·American actor·Birthday: April 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
Jonathan Haze was a fixture in the frantic, inventive world of low-budget Hollywood, becoming one of producer Roger Corman's most reliable players. With a face made for comic anxiety and a everyman quality, Haze specialized in playing put-upon schlemiels and nervous sidekicks. His defining moment came when Corman devised a cheap comedy to use a leftover set. The result was 'The Little Shop of Horrors,' shot in just two days, with Haze in the lead as Seymour, the hapless florist who feeds blood to a carnivorous plant. His performance, a perfect blend of desperation and naive hope, anchored the film as it grew from a B-movie curiosity to a beloved cult phenomenon that inspired a hit musical. Haze continued working with Corman for decades, also stepping behind the camera as a producer and writer, embodying the scrappy, do-anything spirit of independent genre filmmaking.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Jonathan was born in 1929, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jonathan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1929
#1 Movie
The Broadway Melody
Best Picture
The Broadway Melody
Jonathan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1929Born
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1934Started school
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1942Became a teenager
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Could drive
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1947Could vote
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Turned 21
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1959Turned 30
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 40
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 50
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 60
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 70
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 80
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2024Died at 95
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Starred as Seymour Krelborn in the original 1960 film 'The Little Shop of Horrors,' a role that became cult legend.
- Appeared in over 50 films, predominantly in the low-budget genre world of Roger Corman.
- Co-wrote and produced films like 'The Terror' and 'The Creature from the Haunted Sea' for Corman.
- His performance helped establish the template for the Seymour character later adapted for the stage musical.
Did You Know?
The original 'Little Shop of Horrors' was famously shot in just two days and one night.
He often used the pseudonym 'Jackie Haze' in early film credits.
Haze was also a talented artist and cartoonist.
He served in the United States Navy before pursuing acting.
“In this business, you take the work you can get and make it count.”
