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 fi
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.
Born
Feb 24, 1921
New York City, New York, USA
Died
Jan 26, 2016
Known For
Acting
Movies
51 acting
0 crew
Popularity
1.2
Known For
The Godfather
1972
as Sal Tessio
The Godfather Part II
1974
as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
1993
as Salvatore Valestra (voice)
Look Who's Talking
1989
as Grandpa
Good Burger
1997
as Otis
Cannonball Run II
1984
as Caesar
Sugar Hill
1994
as Gus Molino
The Cheap Detective
1978
as Sergeant Rizzuto
The Stuff
1985
as Stuff Commercial Spokesman
Joe Versus the Volcano
1990
as Chief of the Waponis
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