Ozzy Osbourne is dead, and the world is a little less metal. But Ozzy’s impact was not just confined to the music world. Yes, he and Black Sabbath pioneered heavy metal, releasing an initial run of albums (Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Master of Reality, Vol. 4) that contributed to the creation of punk, thrash, and stoner metal.
Yes, his solo work in the ‘80s carried metal into a new decade. But Ozzy’s persona was too big for one stage. And it was inevitable that he would find his way in front of a camera.
Before he passed away on July 22 at the age of 76, Ozzy appeared in a handful of memorable roles on television and film. Many times, he portrayed himself—after all, “Ozzy Osbourne” was a character that John Michael Osbourne had played all his life. But there were times that Ozzy took on a different role, one that made whatever project he was in a little bit better. Or, at least, a little more metal.
Ozzy Osbourne’s best on-screen roles
Note: his cameo during the “Chef Aid” episode of South Park is good, but he’s voicing a cartoon character, even if it’s a cartoon version of himself. Thus, it’s not included here, along with his role of King Thrash in Trolls World Tour (which honestly? Not that bad, despite the inclusion of James Corden and Justin Timberlake.)
But Brütal Legend gets an honorable mention, just because it’s the most metal video game for the PS3/Xbox 360, and you get to play a character that looks like Glenn Danzig and is voiced by Jack Black.
Trick or Treat (1986)
Arguably Ozzy’s best performance came during the height of his solo career—and during the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. It was that moral fear, that heavy metal music had subliminal satanic messages in it, at the heart of 1986’s Trick or Treat. When Eddie plays a record backwards, he unlocks a gateway to bring back Sammi Curr, a demonic rocker hellbent on destruction (emphasis on hell).
Ozzy has a special appearance in the cult horror movie as –fitting enough—a televangelist denouncing “rock pornography.” Ozzy’s character, Rev. Aaron Gilstrom, denounced heavy metal fans as “out and out sick people” and “evil people.” Of course, Sammi Curr wasn’t pleased to hear that.
Sam Kinison, “Under My Thumb” (1990)
The late Sam Kinison might have had the voice of a car alarm and the shoulders of a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, but uglier and less talented people have made it in the music business, so why not him? Leader of the Banned, Kinison’s third comedy album, contained a handful of cover songs, including his take on The Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb.”
The music video is pure ‘90s schlock, which is either good or bad (depending on your tastes). A juvenile delinquent is on trial for his various misdeeds. The presiding judge? Ozzy Osbourne. Just as the Prince of Darkness is about to sentence the lad, in comes Kinison to unleash havoc.
The jury transforms into lingerie-clad ladies, Ozzy flashes everyone with his judge’s robe, and Dweezil Zappa delivers a blistering solo.
Jerky Boys (1995)
Ah, the Jerky Boys. Only in the 1990s could a duo known for making prank phone calls get a feature-length movie. (Also, only in the 1990s could you still make prank phone calls; Caller ID wasn’t as ubiquitous as it is today.)
Ozzy appeared in The Jerky Boys movie, playing a frustrated manager for a band (who happened to be 90s metal rock icons Helmet). Though Ozzy’s cameo is brief, he did get a funny line when the Jerky Boys lied to him about the band’s roadies getting a better gig” working with '60s mop-tops, The Monkees. “The f—-’MONKEES?! You’re kidding me.”
Little Nicky (2000)
Ozzy had a memorable cameo in Adam Sandler’s Little Nicky, which is probably the only thing people remember. The film (currently at 22% on Rotten Tomatoes) might have been a flop that derailed Sandler’s initial success as a movie star, but it still holds a place in Adam’s heart.
Sandler himself mourned Ozzy upon his passing. “Whether we were in our basements with our brothers, in the woods with our buddies, in the car, at a keg party, on a boat, at football practice, at a sleepover,” he wrote on Instagram following Ozzy’s death, “nobody was more badass to crank up on our speakers than the one and only Prince of Darkness - Ozzy Osborne! Loved him a lot like we all did! Sending love to the family, and so happy to have spent time with the legend himself.”
The Osbournes (2002-2005)
The Osbournes is a double-edged sword. The successful MTV reality television series contributed to the channel’s shift, turning it from a home for music videos to a place that runs nothing but Ridiculousness reruns 24/7 (more blame lies on Jersey Shore/The Challenge and the rise of the Internet, but that’s a talk for another day).
On the other hand, The Osbournes revitalized Ozzy’s placement in the pop culture landscape. It showed him to be a doting father to Jack and Kelly Osbourne and a loving husband to his wife/manager, Sharon.
It may not have been the most brutal program out there, but it helped show the mainstream what metal fans already knew: there’s a big heart in the middle of all the darkness. And it’s why Ozzy will be missed. He wasn’t perfect, and he made many mistakes, but he tried to be a good person.