'Bonnie and Clyde' actor Michael J. Pollard dead at 80

Michael J. Pollard, a versatile character actor who earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in the hit film "Bonnie and Clyde," died Wednesday. He was 80.

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Pollard played C.W. Moss, the dimwitted gas station attendant who aided the criminal duo in the 1967 film. A friend, Dawn Walker, told The Hollywood Reporter that Pollard died of cardiac arrest in a Los Angeles hospital.

Pollard, who was born in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1939, went on to a long career as a character actor. Before "Bonnie and Clyde," Pollard played likable but socially inept characters, The New York Times reported. He played the cousin of Bob Denver's main character in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," and a cousin to Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show." He also had a character actor role on "Lost in Space."

In 1966, he played a creepy role as a teenage cult leader during the first season of "Star Trek," the Times reported.

Pollard also had roles in films like "Dirty Little Billy," "Melvin and Howard," "Roxanne" and "Tango & Cash," Variety reported, and played in Rob Zombie's 2003 cult film, "House of 1000 Corpses." His final role was "The Woods" in 2012, Variety reported.

"Michael J. Pollard was one of a kind. Made every film he was in better. You sat up and took notice," Larry Karaszewski tweeted. "I met him once on the street in Beverly Hills and tried to pay him a compliment. He growled at me. I mean — literally growled at me. It was a perfect moment."

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