Years active 1968 - 1996 Role Film producer | Name Karl Hardman Children Kyra Schon | |
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Born March 22, 1927 ( 1927-03-22 ) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Died September 22, 2007, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Spouse Evamarie Scheufler (m. 1947–1984) Movies Night of the Living Dead, Night of the Living Dead: Re, RiffTrax: Night of the Living De Similar People Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Marilyn Eastman, Kyra Schon, Russell Streiner | ||
The Midnight Movie: Marilyn Eastman & Karl Hardman
Karl Hardman (March 22, 1927 – September 22, 2007) was an American horror film producer and actor. He produced George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) and also co-starred as Harry Cooper. He also appeared in Santa Claws (1996) as Bruce Brunswick. He was born Karl Hardman Schon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Life and career
Hardman was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even before his role in Night of the Living Dead, Hardman was an institution in Pittsburgh for his longtime work on Pittsburgh's early morning, highly-rated Cordic and Company" show hosted by Rege Cordic, first at WWSW, then at KDKA, where it ran from 1954-1965 featuring Cordic hosting a very early version of the "morning madness" style of radio programming. Hardman was part of the cast along with Bob Trow and Sterling Yates. Hardman's voice contributions included the characters of Louie the Garbageman, Roquefort Q. LaFarge and Mr. Murchison. Hardman continued collaborating with Cordic after the host moved to Los Angeles in 1965. He later owned a Pittsburgh recording studio.
Hardman's partner in business was Night of the Living Dead co-star Marilyn Eastman, who played his wife in the film, although she was not romantically involved with him. He had one daughter, Kyra Schon, who also appeared in Night of the Living Dead as the couple's daughter. The couple was together for 44 years. Hardman died September 22, 2007 at the age of 80 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.