Henry Polic II dies of cancer

Henry Polic II, a former Emerson faculty member and well-known television and theater actor, died August 11 after a long battle with cancer. He was 68.

Polic was best known for his TV roles as Sheriff Nottingham in Mel Brooks’ 1975 show, When Things Were Rotten, Dracula in Monster Squad, and Uncle Jerry Silver in Webster. He also found cult fame in the 1990s as the voice of Scarecrow in Batman: The Animated Series.

Polic taught an acting for the camera class at Emerson’s Los Angeles Center in the late 1990s and early 2000s, said Jim Lane, executive director of the center.

“Henry brought an infectious energy to the classroom,” Lane said. “Like many actors who have sharply honed their craft, he owned the room when he entered.”

“Many of Henry’s former Emerson students have praised him [on social media since his passing] for all they learned from him—and how helpful those lessons have been to them in the real world,” said Brad Lemack ’77, who was Polic’s manager and publicist and is a part-time faculty member at Emerson College Los Angeles. “Having represented Henry for over 30 years, it is a big loss, both personally and professionally. His legacy, his footprint, is a wonderful tribute to his life.”

Born in Pittsburgh in 1945, Polic attended Florida State University, where he earned an MFA degree in acting. A memorial scholarship fund has been established in Polic’s name at his beloved alma mater to provide funding to assist the School of Theatre’s annual production of new works. Contributions can be made by contacting Fred Salancy at fsalancy@admin.fsu.edu.