Michael Villella, the actor best known for his role in The Slumber Party Massacre, has passed away at the age of 84.
On Saturday, November 23, Villella’s daughter Chloe confirmed his death through a heartfelt post on her Facebook account.
“May you rest in peace, daddy,” she captioned a picture in which her father’s photograph was placed on the kitchen counter.
In addition, the late actor’s own social media account announced his death, stating, “Michael Pasquale Villella has left this world. May he rest in peace. May God welcome Michael with open arms and bring him into heaven.”
While the cause of death was not immediately disclosed, TMZ reported that Villella died of organ failure after spending around a month in the hospital.
Villella gained recognition as Russ Thorn, the infamous power-drill-wielding murderer in the 1982 cult classic The Slumber Party Massacre, which also starred Michelle Michaels and Robin Stille. Directed by Amy Holden Jones, the film marked Villella’s acting debut.
Moreover, apart from his iconic role in The Slumber Party Massacre, Villella had a small part in the 1990 spin-off Sorority House Massacre II and appeared in the 2010 documentary Sleepless Nights: Revisiting the Slumber Party Massacres.
His other film credits include Love Letters (1983), Gotham (1988), Wild Orchid (1989), and Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue (1991).
On television, he made guest appearances in Amazing Stories and Getting Away with Murder.
