Who did Jonathan Haze play in Little Shop of Horrors? Character explored as actor dies at 95
Jonathan Haze, best known for starring in the 1960 horror comedy The Little Shop of Horrors, died on November 2, 2024 at the age of 95. The unfortunate news was confirmed by his daughter Rebecca, who told Deadline:
“He died peacefully of natural causes on November 2 at his home in Los Angeles”
Born Jack Schachter, Haze hailed from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He appeared in several of director Roger Corman’s films, including The Terror (1963), It Conquered the World (1956), and Apache Woman (1955). The pair first met on the sets of Corman-produced Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954), in which Haze had a small role.
However, Haze’s work as a florist’s assistant Seymour Krelborn in Corman’s The Little Shop of Horrors remains his most memorable role.
“It was insane”—Jonathan Haze about shooting The Little Shop of Horrors
In a July 2001 conversation with the audience at the Fanex convention, Jonathan Haze revealed that all the interior scenes in The Little Shop of Horrors were shot in a span of two days. He stated:
“All the interior scenes in the movie were done in two days, they were like 20-hour days, and then we went out on the streets and did three nights with a second unit, with a totally different crew. It was insane.”
Haze added that the shooting actually took place in Skid Row, using real vagrants “as extras.” He explained that the crew paid them ten cents for every walk-through shot.
At the time, discussing the movie with co-star Jackie Joseph, Jonathan Haze remarked that it appeared like “everything just came together right.” He added that:
“Sometimes it just all works for you; somedays you get home runs and some days you strike out, well that was a home run situation.”
For the unversed, the plot of The Little Shop of Horrors revolves around a plant that Seymour (Jonathan Haze), an assistant at a Skid Row-based flower shop, cultivated. The plant, dubbed Audrey Jr. after his colleague Audrey Fulquard (played by Jackie Joseph), feeds on human blood. Hilarity ensues as the strange flora begins to grow big and demands human blood, and after a point, begins eating people.
Seymour has a crush on his colleague Audrey. The pair work at Gravis Mushnick’s flower shop. After the plant earns revenue for the shop, Mushnick tells Seymour to refer to him as dad. At one point, the florist discovers his assistant feeding the plant and considers going to the police but refrains after he sees the line of customers at his shop.
In the film, the Society of Silent Flower Observers of Southern California announces that Jonathan Haze’s Seymour will receive a trophy for cultivating Audrey Jr. The trophy would be handed when the plant’s buds open. When the moment arrives, it is revealed that inside each bud is the face of Audrey Jr.’s victims.
Seymour later tries to kill the plant by climbing into it. Before Audrey Jr. withers away, it opens one last bud with Seymour’s face.
The eccentric film has since gained cult status. It was adapted into a musical play by composer Alan Menken and Howard Ashman in 1982 and a musical film directed by Frank Oz in 1986. A short-lived animated series called Little Shop, based on the film, ran for a season in 1991.
In addition to acting, Haze wrote the screenplay for Invasion of the Star Creatures (1962) and was the production manager on Medium Cool (1969).
Jonathan Haze is survived by his daughters Rebecca and DD Haze, grandchildren Andre Bryant, Rocco Haze, and Ruby Bryant, and great-grandson Sonny.
Source: Sportskeeda
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