Abe Vigoda
Tall, dour-faced and slouch-shouldered character actor Abraham Charles Vigoda (February 24, 1921 – January 26, 2016) proved himself in both gritty dramatic roles, and as an actor with wonderful comedic timing.
Vigoda was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Lena (Moses) and Samuel Vigoda, both Russian Jewish immigrants. His father was a tailor on the Lower East Side. He made his first stage appearance at the age of 17 and plodded away in small theater shows for over 20 years. For the majority of film-goers, Vigoda first came to prominence in The Godfather (1972) as the double-crossing Tessio, pleading with Robert Duvall to get him off the hook "for old times' sake." He also appeared in its sequel.
Vigoda had roles in a few nondescript TV films before landing the plum part of Sgt. Phil Fish on the brilliant sitcom Barney Miller (1974). Perhaps his best known role, Sgt. Fish proved popular enough to be spun off to his own (short-lived) series Fish (1977).
With his long face and unusual looks, Vigoda remained in high demand in mafioso-type roles, and for a while in the mid-1980s, he was mistakenly believed to have been dead, leading producers to remark, "I need an Abe Vigoda type actor," not realizing Vigoda was still alive and well. The 1990s and beyond became busy again for him, with appearances in North (1994), The Misery Brothers (1995), A Brooklyn State of Mind (1998), and Crime Spree (2003). He continued acting into his 90s, surprising audiences with his entertaining style.
Abe Vigoda died in his sleep on January 26, 2016 in Woodland Park, New Jersey.
Fotos
Películas (50)
Cutaways
2013
The Unknown Trilogy
2008 · Uncle Morty (segment "Frankie the Squirrel")
Farce of the Penguins
2006 · Penguin from Boca (voice)
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
2003 · Self
Crime Spree
2003 · Angelo Giancarlo
Tea Cakes or Cannoli
2000
Chump Change
2000 · The Frog
Witness to the Mob
1998 · Paul Castellano
Just the Ticket
1998 · Arty
A Brooklyn State of Mind
1998 · Uncle Guy
Good Burger
1997 · Otis
Farticus
1997 · Zeus
A Christmas Journey Home
1996 · Grandpa
Underworld
1996 · Will Cassady
Love Is All There Is
1996 · Rudy
Jury Duty
1995 · Judge Powell
The Misery Brothers
1995 · Don Frito Layleone
North
1994 · Alaskan Grandpa
Sugar Hill
1994 · Gus Molino
Home of Angels
1994
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
1993 · Salvatore Valestra (voice)
Me and the Kid
1993 · Pawn Broker
Fist of Honor
1993 · Victor Malucci
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980
1992 · Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
Night of 100 Stars III
1990 · Self
Keaton's Cop
1990 · Louis Keaton
Joe Versus the Volcano
1990 · Chief of the Waponis
Prancer
1989 · Orel Benton
Look Who's Talking
1989 · Grandpa
Plain Clothes
1988 · Mr. Wiseman
Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter
1986 · Abe
The Stuff
1985 · Stuff Commercial Spokesman
Cannonball Run II
1984 · Caesar
The Big Stuffed Dog
1981 · Carnival Pitchman
Gridlock
1980 · Herb
Death Car on the Freeway
1979 · Mr. Frisch
How to Pick Up Girls!
1978 · Nathan Perlmutter
The Comedy Company
1978 · Jake
The Cheap Detective
1978 · Sergeant Rizzuto
Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals of 1926
1976 · Self
Having Babies
1976 · Al Schneider
Joys
1976 · Self
The Godfather Part II
1974 · Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
Newman's Law
1974 · John Dellanzia
The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd
1974 · Dominic Morrell
The Don Is Dead
1973 · Don Talusso
Toma
1973 · Donzer
The Devil's Daughter
1973 · Alikhine
El Padrino
1972 · Sal Tessio
Three Rooms in Manhattan
1965 · Waiter (uncredited)
Series (53)
TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV
2003
Deadline
2000 · Joseph Spiaggio
The Norm Show
1999
Padre de Familia
1999 · Abe Vigoda (voice)
Promised Land
1996
Touched by an Angel
1994 · Receptionist Angel
Weird Science
1994
Diagnosis: Murder
1993 · Alfredo Bartolo / Al Bartell / Mr. Johnson
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993 · Self (uncredited), Self - Guest, Self
Mad About You
1992 · Kalman Wertzel
Lucky Luke
1992 · Judge Rinehart
The Adventures of the Black Stallion
1992
La Ley y el Orden
1990 · Detective Landis
Wings
1990 · Harry
B.L. Stryker
1989 · Clayton Baskin
Monsters
1988 · Dolan
Superboy
1988
MacGyver
1985 · Bill Cody
Murder, She Wrote
1984 · George
Tales from the Darkside
1984 · Jake Corelli
Harper Valley
1981
The Littlest Hobo
1979
B. J. and the Bear
1979
Supertrén
1979 · Ray Yellburton
$weepstake$
1979 · Anthony
Vega$
1978
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
1977 · Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)
Vacaciones en el mar
1977 · Charlie Fletcher
Eight Is Enough
1977
Fish
1977 · Phil Fish
The Captain and Tennille
1976 · Self - Guest
The Bionic Woman
1976
Saturday Night Live
1975 · Self (uncredited)
Barney Miller
1975 · Philip Fish, Det. Phil Fish (uncredited), Det. Phil Fish
Tony Orlando and Dawn
1974 · Self
Dinah!
1974 · Self
The Rockford Files
1974 · Al Dancer, Phil 'The Dancer' Gabriel
Tattletales
1974
Kojak
1973 · Kilty
Toma
1973
The Sandy Duncan Show
1972
The Rookies
1972
Cannon
1971 · Mr. Couzellous
Love, American Style
1969 · Mr. Burdick (uncredited)
Hawaii Five-O
1969 · Abe Kemper
Mannix
1967 · Anton Valine
Dark Shadows
1966
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
Buck Rogers
1950
The Bob Hope Show
1950 · Self
Suspense
1949
Studio One
1948 · Old Train Passenger