Movie star alligator in ‘Happy Gilmore’ dies at over 80 years old in Colorado
An alligator famous for starring in ”Happy Gilmore” and several other movies and television shows starting in 1975 died of old age at a Colorado wildlife sanctuary.
Morris was the oldest gator at Colorado Gators Reptile Park, where he lived after retiring from his Hollywood showbiz career in 2006, according to a video posted to Facebook on May 11.
“We are sad to report that Morris … the movie star alligator has passed,” park owner Jay Young said in the video. “... Morris was pretty old when he got here and he was with us for almost 20 years. He started acting strange about a week ago.”
The alligator wasn’t lunging at staff or accepting food the way he normally would, Young said.
Officials weren’t sure exactly how old the gator was, but based on the 9-foot-long gator’s growth rate and tooth loss, they estimate he was more than 80 years old.
“While we knew this was inevitable, we are very saddened by his passing to old age,” the caption on the video says.
The video shows Young sitting with the alligator and tearfully stroking its face.
“I know it’s strange to people that we get so attached to an alligator,” Young said in the video, adding that staff gets attached to every animal in their care. “... The worst part of what we do is losing animals. But this isn’t as tragic as some of the things we’ve experienced in the past. He had a happy time here and he died of old age. … That’s part of life. Everything that lives must die. The plants, animals, and we’re all gonna be there someday, too.”
The park allowed visitors one last day to see Morris and pay their respects. Officials decided to have him taxidermied “so that he can continue to scare children for years to come,” the park said in a follow-up video on May 12.
Morris was such a star because of his aggressive attitude, such as the “feisty chomping and hissing” he showed in ”Happy Gilmore,” KDVR reported.
“It’s what he would have wanted,” the park said.
This story was originally published May 13, 2025 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Movie star alligator in ‘Happy Gilmore’ dies at over 80 years old in Colorado."
