The Dark Tragedy Behind The Goonies

The Goonies was such a success in the 80’s that it still has a cult following to this day. Many fans are aware of the tragic backstory of Sloth, the would-be villain turned friend. But, what many don’t know is the tragedies that the actor himself went through. John Daniel “The Tooz” Matuszak is known for his iconic role in The Goonies, but also for his troubled life. With addiction running rampant on his life, he never had it easy…

When he was young, his two siblings died of cystic fibrosis. Then, he was subjected to bullying his entire schooling career. It wasn’t until he picked up football that things picked… But, not for long. He was served with a restraining order by an anonymous person, which hurt his reputation. He still played football and ended up on the Raiders, but he still was suffering from a horrid addiction. After football, he went into TV. He starred in MASH, Trapper John M.D., The Ice Pirates, and many more.

He still struggled with narcotics. painkillers, and alcohol while never fully enjoying his success. He had also been convicted of a half dozen incidents of illegal activity and even more serious crimes… He died at the young age of 38 years old from an accidental overdose. Who would have thought that so much tragedy would be behind that movie makeup?  

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