Goonies monster Sloth ‘unrecognisable’ as NFL hunk whose life ended in tragedy

Fans of the famous Goonies film were given a shock when it was revealed the actor who played the hideous monster Sloth was actually an NFL hunk.

Rumours swirled earlier this month about the well-known children’s adventure film receiving a long-awaited sequel. Although actors from the original – Martha Plimpton and Corey Feldman – have since poured water over the idea, some sources still claim ‘Goonies 2’ might be appearing in cinemas in 2026.

Released in 1985, The Goonies was memorable for the horrifying character of Sloth, who pursued the children. Sloth had an iconic scary face, but the actor underneath the prosthetics was actually a sweetheart.

READ MORE: Chunk from The Goonies unrecognisable in new career – but still works with old co-star

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John Matuszak was forced to sit in a makeup chair for five hours every day in order to look like the monster that has scared generations since The Goonies came out.

He’d previously been an NFL player during the late 1970s and early 1980s, with John’s towering physique seeing him play for the Houston Oilers, Washington Redskins and most notably the Oakland Raiders who he won two Super Bowls with.

However, a shoulder injury that had plagued him since his early school days reared its ugly head again and forced him into a retirement in 1983 when he was 36. John reportedly started taking prescription medications in order to deal with the pain and eventually became hooked on the substances.

John turned his attention to acting and ended up starring in multiple films including North Dallas Forty, Caveman, One Crazy Summer, Ghost Writer and Down the Drain, alongside the famous The Goonies.

Unfortunately, John’s drug use continued with his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Cozart claiming he was motivated to numb himself to cope with the grief of his two brothers who died when he was little from cystic fibrosis.

She told the LA Times in 1989: “The man was in a lot of emotional pain. He had a lot of childhood stuff to deal with.” Stephanie dubbed him a “therapist’s dream”.

Eventually John died of an accidental overdose in 1989 after his drug-taking became too much. His premature death came at the age of 39, but not before he left an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk