‘Caddyshack’ Star Claims One Drug Was Budgeted on Set
More than 40 years after Caddyshack‘s release, Michael O’Keefe recalls some interesting behind-the-scenes moments from the cult classic.
Speaking to Page Six, the actor who played Danny Noonan in the film revealed there was some cocaine on the set.
“There was some miscellaneous item. It was the ’70s,” he said. “That’s what was happening back then. People were just treating it like it was toothpaste, and you had to do it twice a day to stay healthy.”
O’Keefe further admitted he participated in the drug use, noting it was not his favorite memory.
“Because in retrospect I can see those moments on camera and I’m not happy about them,” he pointed out. “But I can report to you that right after that movie, during that movie, was the last time I ever did anything like cocaine. I realized that it was a terrible thing to get involved [with], and like so many things in the drug world, it looked like fun, but in reality, it wasn’t.”
The actor also said that a “huge wake-up call” for him regarding drug use was the death of Doug Kenney, who co-wrote and produced Caddyshack.
The filmmaker died in 1980 at the age of 33 after he walked off a cliff in Hawaii. His cause of death was ruled to be suicide.
Along with discussing Caddyshack’s production, O’Keefe reflected on his longtime acting career, which he began as a teenager.
“When you see movies, and you see people on TV, and we get a chance to talk about it. It’s great,” he shared. “It all looks like a lot of fun and exciting, and sometimes even glamorous, and all of that’s true, but the behind-the-scenes is so much different, and I’ve had a 50-year journey.”
He went on to add, “And I’ve really, really had some great experiences over the years and worked with some amazing people. So the fact that I’m still standing is kind of the happiest thing that I have to report.”
Along with Caddyshack, O’Keefe was best known for his film roles in The Great Santini and The Slugger’s Wife. He also played Fred on the TV show Roseanne.
