James Hayden

James Hayden was an American actor from Bay Ridge Brooklyn Apart from starring on Broadway he is best known for playing Patrick Patsy Goldberg in the 1984 film Once Upon a Time in America Hayden trained and served as a medic in the United States Army during the Vietnam War On his discharge he returned to New York attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and began working as an actor In 1983 the year of his death he portrayed a heroin addict in the critically acclaimed Broadway play American Buffalo costarring with his close friend Al Pacino At 430 AM he was speaking to his estranged wife on the telephone when his voice suddenly ceased Mrs Hayden immediately called Haydens physician and the physician called the 911 emergency number over to Haydens Manhattan apartment at 69th Street and Broadway Police discovered James Hayden slumped over the kitchen sink telephone still in hand On the floor of the kitchen police had found a hypodermic needle and several glassine envelopes believed to contain heroin He was pronounced dead at St LukesRoosevelt Hospital Center Just six hours before his death he had received a standing ovation for his performance In 1984 during the making of The Pope of Greenwich Village Mickey Rourke dedicated his performance to the memory of Hayden