Eugene Roche

Actor and original Ajax soap pitchman Eugene Roche began acting in the early 1960s with a guest appearance on the series "Naked City." Throughout that decade, he continued to guest star on TV in shows like "Route 66," "The Reporter," and "The Catholic Hour."

His most notable role came in 1972 when he played POW Edgar Derby in the adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Slaughterhouse-Five." Roche furthered his career as a character actor in the late '70s and early '80s by making the guest rounds on television, landing a recurring role on the spoof series "Soap" and picking up supporting roles in films like Oliver Stone's "W," the critically acclaimed "Foul Play," and "Eternity."

Viewers could also have seen him in the role of Senator Dietz on the Emmy-winning action series "Airwolf" in the mid-'80s. Roche continued his prolific career as a supporting actor in television series during the 1990s with recurring roles in "Lenny," "Julie," and "Dave's World."

His roles in the 2000s grew fewer as his health declined but he did take the occasional guest spot on TV series like "7th Heaven," "The Division," and "The Guardian" before his death, after a heart attack, in 2004.