A beloved actor from the 1977 film classic Saturday Night Fever has died, leaving behind a performance that helped define one of the decade's most iconic films.
The groundbreaking drama, which starred John Travolta as Tony Manero, became a cultural phenomenon, capturing the pulse of 1970s Brooklyn nightlife and launching a disco-era soundtrack that topped charts worldwide. The film not only cemented Travolta’s status as a Hollywood leading man but also helped define an entire generation’s style and music.
While Travolta’s star-making turn remains central to the film’s legacy, fans also remember the supporting characters who gave the story its emotional weight and authenticity. One of these actors was Monti Rock III, who played the beloved DJ Monti at the disco the characters visited, The 2001 Odyssey.
Rock is best remembered from a scene where he calls out to Travolta and his fellow dancers. He says, “Hello, again! This is beautiful Monti, your delicious DJ!”
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rock died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. The site confirmed Rock's death via a longtime friend, Lucille Thaler. She added that he had been diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in the years before his death.
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Thaler also stated that in December 2024, Rock suffered a broken hip, for which he received surgery.
The Las Vegas Review featured a retrospective of Rock's career via YouTube, posted in 2020. In the series of video clips, the entertainer's Saturday Night Fever scene, as well as his numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, are visible.
In an undated interview with the website Ultimate Classic Bands, Rock discussed his career, including his work with Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes, a disco group that had two hit singles, "Get Dancin'" (1974) and "I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo (Doo Dat Dance)" (1975), per AllMusic. The group later earned a lyrical nod from the Pet Shop Boys on their 1996 album Bilingual, with the song "Electricity" referencing them in the line, “It’s the greatest show with the best effects, since Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes.”
To Ultimate Classic Rock, the entertainer claimed the group had sold “seven million records” and released three albums before Saturday Night Fever producer Robert Stigwood recruited him to appear in the now-classic film. Of his role in Saturday Night Fever, Rock said, "It made me legit in many ways. Robert Stigwood liked me basically."
He added, "It changed my life, actually. I had three years of premieres and talk shows, and I made a lot of money. I did a few other bad films."
Rock offered candid words of wisdom about his long career to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reflecting that “the talent of surviving is a talent. Life has a way of, you either sink or swim. And I’ve been able to sink more times than swim. I’m the world’s most successful failure.”
Monti Rock III died on February 23, 2026. He was 86.
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