Vic Tayback
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Victor Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as diner owner Mel Sharples in the comedy-drama film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and the television sitcom Alice (1976–1985), for which he won two consecutive Golden Globes.
Early life
Tayback was born on January 6, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, to Syrian Catholic immigrant parents Helen (née Hanood; Arabic: هيلين هنود تايباك) and Najeeb James Tayback (Arabic: نجيب جيمس طيبك) . Both of his parents had emigrated to the United States from Aleppo. He moved with his family to Burbank, California during his teenage years and attended Burbank High School, from which he graduated in 1948. He also attended Glendale Community College and the Frederick A. Speare School of Radio and TV Broadcasting.
Career
Tayback served in the United States Navy before beginning his acting career at the age of 25. A lifetime member of the Actors Studio, he was a familiar face on television in the 1960s and 1970s, appearing on numerous series, including The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, Bonanza, Here Come the Brides, That Girl, Gunsmoke, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Partridge Family, All in the Family, Fantasy Island, Columbo, Bewitched and The Love Boat. He also appeared in many films such as Bullitt (1968), Papillon (1973), The Gambler (1974), The Cheap Detective (1978), and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), as well as more than 25 stage productions, including Twelve Angry Men, The Diary of Anne Frank, Death of a Salesman, and Brighton Beach Memoirs. He was the co-founder of the theatre troupe Company of Angels. He also appeared in television commercials, notably in 1968 with Richard Dreyfuss for the AMC Javelin.
Tayback's most famous role was as diner owner Mel Sharples in both the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and the television series Alice (1976–1985). He was the only actor in the original film to reprise his role for the rest of the series. For the role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1978 and won two consecutive Golden Globe Awards in 1980 and 1981. In 1971, he made a guest appearance as Dirks in season 16, episode 19 of the long-running CBS Western series Gunsmoke.
Personal life
Tayback was married to Sheila Maureen Barnard (1932–2001) from March 16, 1963, until his death on May 25, 1990. They had one son.
Death
Tayback died of a heart attack at age 60 on May 25, 1990. Tayback was pronounced dead at 1:56 a.m. at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where he was taken after his wife called paramedics. She said he had climbed out of bed, taken a few steps and collapsed. Tayback was a lifelong smoker and had a history of heart problems. He underwent a triple bypass in 1983.
He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills). CLR
Photos
Films (57)
Horseplayer
1990 · George Samsa
All Dogs Go to Heaven
1989 · Carface (voice)
Beverly Hills Bodysnatchers
1989 · Lou
Criminal Act
1989 · The Exterminator (Greengrass)
Loverboy
1989 · Harry Bruckner
The Underachievers
1988 · Coach
The Three Kings
1987 · Harold
Weekend Warriors
1986 · Sgt. Burdge
George Carlin: Playin' with Your Head
1986 · The Bad Guys
Treasure Island
1986 · Silver
Reel Horror
1985 · Smedke (archive footage)
The Jesse Owens Story
1984 · Abe Saperstein
Mysterious Two
1982 · Ted Randall
Through the Magic Pyramid
1981 · Horembeb
The Night the City Screamed
1980 · Morris Brustein
Gridlock
1980 · Floyd 'Snake' Kraslowski
Rage!
1980 · Tommy
This Year's Blonde
1980 · Harry Cohn
Portrait of a Stripper
1979 · Harry Parkins
The Cheap Detective
1978 · Lieutenant DiMaggio
Getting Married
1978 · Burt Carboni
The Case of the Baltimore Girls
1978 · Capt. Barney Marcus
The Choirboys
1977 · Zoony
Little Ladies of the Night
1977 · Finch
The Shaggy D.A.
1976 · Eddie Roschak
Mansion of the Doomed
1976 · Detective Simon
Special Delivery
1976 · Wyatt
The Big Bus
1976 · Goldie
No Deposit, No Return
1976 · Big Joe Adamo
Dark Victory
1976 · Archie
The Black Bird
1975 · Warren Finley, Police Lieutenant
Lepke
1975 · Charles 'Lucky' Luciano
Report to the Commissioner
1975 · Lt. Seidensticker
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
1974 · Mel
The Gambler
1974 · One
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
1974 · Mario Pinski
Papillon
1973 · Sergeant
The Don Is Dead
1973 · Ralph Negri
The Blue Knight
1973 · Neil Grogan
The Alpha Caper
1973 · Policeman
Emperor of the North
1973 · Yardman
Partners in Crime
1973
Honor Thy Father
1973 · Don A. Tirello
Maxie
1973 · Smedke
Death Follows a Psycho
1972
They Call It Murder
1971 · Jeff Poland
Blood and Lace
1971 · Calvin Carruthers
Bullitt
1968 · Pete Ross
Gambit
1966 · Plainclothes Officer at TWA Counter (uncredited)
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
1966 · Detective Merchant (uncredited)
Love with the Proper Stranger
1963 · Cye (uncredited)
Five Weeks in a Balloon
1962 · European Agent (uncredited)
Surftide 77
1962 · Arms Cooper
Five Minutes to Live
1961 · Fred Dorella
Gangster Story
1959 · Norm (uncredited)
T-Bird Gang
1959 · Policeman
The Power of the Resurrection
1958 · Simon the Canaanite
Séries (69)
MacGyver
1985 · George Henderson
Crazy like a Fox
1984 · Mo Scmidt
Murder, She Wrote
1984 · Sal Domino
Tales from the Darkside
1984 · Tippy Ryan, Alan Coombs
Finder of Lost Loves
1984 · Thomas Velasco
Matt Houston
1982
Hotel
1982 · Wallace Egan
T. J. Hooker
1982 · Pete Benedict
Time Express
1979
Supertrain
1979 · Frank Tuttle
$weepstake$
1979 · Sir Yarbrough
Vega$
1978
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
1978
Fantasy Island
1978 · Melvyn Mews
La croisière s'amuse
1977 · Harry Stewart, Harry Beluski
CHiPs
1977 · Vic Tayback (uncredited)
Alice
1976 · Mel Sharples
The Practice
1976
On the Rocks
1975
Switch
1975 · Ralph Kabelka
Bronk
1975
Khan!
1975 · Lt. Gubbins
Barney Miller
1975 · Mr. Stavochek
The Blue Knight
1973 · Neil Grogan
Griff
1973
Police Story
1973
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
The Rookies
1972
Emergency!
1972 · Driver
Columbo
1971 · Sam Franklin
Cannon
1971
All in the Family
1971 · Joe Tucker
The Partridge Family
1970 · Ingram, Rocco, Harlan Laws
The Silent Force
1970 · Capt. Al Grant
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
1970
McCloud
1970
Medical Center
1969
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1969 · Bernie
My World and Welcome to It
1969
The Bill Cosby Show
1969 · Calvin
Hawaii Five-O
1969 · Parmel, Martin Lynch
The Mod Squad
1968
Lancer
1968 · Durham
Land of the Giants
1968 · Hood
The Outsider
1968 · Faber
Mannix
1967
Cimarron Strip
1967
Ironside
1967
Captain Nice
1967
Mission: Impossible
1966 · Egan's Goon, Sgt. Gorte
Occasional Wife
1966
Family Affair
1966
The Monkees
1966 · George, Rocco, Chuche
Felony Squad
1966
Star Trek
1966 · Jojo Krako
That Girl
1966
Love on a Rooftop
1966
The F.B.I.
1965 · Ed Larch, Neil Parks
I Dream of Jeannie
1965 · Turhan
Get Smart
1965 · Jamal, Popov
F Troop
1965
Daniel Boone
1964 · American Soldier, Hongas Hongas - Huron Indian Chief
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964 · Sergeant
Bewitched
1964 · Mayor's Chauffeur
The Lieutenant
1963 · Cpl. Peter Garth
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
Rawhide
1959 · Monte
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955 · Man Talking to Cab Driver
Gunsmoke
1955 · Gaines, Rawlins, Dirks, Bill Hankins