Sidney Kibrick, the cherished former child actor best known for his role in the classic Our Gang comedy shorts—later called The Little Rascals—has passed away at the age of 97. His family confirmed that he died on January 3 at a hospital in Northridge, California. The news was shared by his daughter, Jane, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Kibrick was the final surviving cast member from the original 1930s series, a landmark chapter in early Hollywood history. He became widely recognized for portraying “Woim,” a nickname inspired by a Brooklyn-accented pronunciation of the word “worm,” which made him instantly memorable to audiences of the era.
Born in Minneapolis in 1928, Kibrick moved with his family to Los Angeles as a young child. He once recalled being discovered by chance while attending a movie theater in California. At just five years old, he began acting in the Our Gang shorts, a popular series created by Hal Roach that followed a group of working-class children growing up in Los Angeles.
Between 1935 and 1939, Kibrick appeared in roughly two dozen short films. In a 2023 interview with Boomer Magazine, he revealed that he earned an impressive $750 per week during his time on the series. He also appeared in other films, including Just Around the Corner (1938) alongside Shirley Temple and Jesse James (1939) starring Tyrone Power.
Despite his young age, the workload was demanding. Kibrick later explained that child actors often worked between six and 16 hours a day, with only a few hours of schooling in the mornings.
At 15, after nearly a decade in the industry, Kibrick chose to step away from show business. His final film appearance came in 1943’s Keep ’Em Slugging. Though he left Hollywood behind, his legacy endured, and he continued receiving fan mail throughout his life. In 1981, he even organized a reunion celebrating Our Gang.
Sidney Kibrick’s passing marks the end of an era in classic American cinema.
