Brion James

Actor Brion James appeared in 171 movies and TV shows, starting in 1974 and ending when he died of a heart attack in 1999 at age 54.

Always enjoyed his work. He could do a scary villain.

From IMDB:

Brion James wrote:

[in August 1999, when asked to what he attributes his success] Hard work. You gotta study, man. It's like any profession. I did eight years in theater. I studied two years in school in New York with Stella Adler, the best teacher in the world. I studied under Nina Foch, I did theater, I learned my craft. You got to learn how to build a character, there's a way to do it. Everything I ever did was different. I did 125 films, and over 100 television shows, and you've never seen the same character twice. I think now, in my 50s, with [Robert Duvall], [Albert Finney] and [Gene Hackman], those guys are getting up there in their 60s, it's my time. And I'm making sure that I push myself into their slot. So, my best work's coming.

Sadly, we never got to see it.

He was certainly a versatile actor. I remember his performances in Blade Runner and The Fifth Element, even though they were not large parts.

If you do the math, he was one busy actor.  Must've had a) a great agent and b) no down time.

Reportedly his first role was in Blazing Saddles, uncredited.

I don't remember him in Blazing Saddles. Looking in imdb.com, they show dozens of uncredited cast members and he is not listed. Maybe I need to watch it again and see if I can spot him. One of the funniest movies ever.

The Blazing Saddles credit on Wikipedia is listed as "citation needed" -- so there's a good chance it's erroneous.