Jerry Leggio, a character actor with roles in TV shows like In The Heat of the Night, American Horror Story and Scream Queens, has died.
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According to the Louisiana newspaper The Advocate, he passed away at home on Oct. 1. Leggio had been battling a long illness and entered hospice care in July. He turned 90 just a week before his death.
Leggio was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sept. 23, 1935. He graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1953 and from Louisiana State University in 1957. It was after college that Jerry discovered his love for theater.
Per his online obituary, his stage credits include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Sheriff Dodd), A Streetcar Named Desire (Stanley), A Few Good Men (Colonel Jessup), Inherit the Wind (Henry Drummond), The King and I (the King), Camelot (King Arthur), and The Sound of Music (Captain Von Trapp).
Jerry Leggio Brings Hollywood to Louisiana
Instead of pursuing the spotlight in New York or Hollywood, he chose to stay close to home and family, focusing his efforts on bringing the film industry to Louisiana. In 1969, with a grant from the Gulf South Research Institute, where he worked as personnel director, and support from John Wayne, he was instrumental in the creation of what became known as “Hollywood South.”
According to IMDb, he appeared in a variety of films and TV shows set in Louisiana, including Sounder, Sister, Sister, The Badge, and American Violet. He also made memorable appearances in two episodes of In the Heat of the Night. Fans of American Horror Story: Freak Show may recognize him as Dr. Bonham (the doctor for the bearded lady), and he also played roles in television films like The Ernest Green Story, Ruffian, and Mothman.
Additionally, he had uncredited roles in iconic films such as Alvarez Kelly and Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte.
Leggio Gets Some Backup From a Classic Hollywood Star
His daughter, Felicia Leggio Braud, recalled a story her father told her about the set of Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte, involving him and the film’s classic Hollywood star.
“He told us a story about filming ‘Hush … Hush Sweet Charlotte’,” Braud told The Advocate. “He had turned out a light on set, and the man in charge of lighting chewed him out for it. Bette Davis saw what happened, and she asked Daddy to take a walk with her.”
As the thriller’s star, Davis’s decision to stop filming and take a stroll with Leggio around Houmas House’s grounds brought production to a halt, leaving the crew with no choice but to wait.
“She told Daddy, ‘They won’t get on to you again, because this walk is costing them $10,000,'” Braud recalled. “She didn’t like what that man did to Daddy, so she stopped the filming.”
In 2015, Leggio made one of his final TV appearances with a guest role in an episode of Scream Queens, created by American Horror Story mastermind Ryan Murphy. His last film role was in 2022’s Days of Daisy.
He received the Anne Price Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 for his lifelong efforts to grow Louisiana’s film industry.
Jerry Leggio is survived by his wife of 67 years, Gloria; brother, Dr. Louis Wayne Leggio; children, Felicia, Mike, Darrell, and Charles; 12 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Jerry, and his daughter-in-law, Johnnie.