Abe Vigoda
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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.
Known for
Credits
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)
Cannonball Run II (1984)
as Caesar
Look Who's Talking (1989)
as Grandpa
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
as Chief of the Waponis
Good Burger (1997)
as Otis
North (1994)
as Alaskan Grandpa
The Stuff (1985)
as Stuff Commercial Spokesman
The Cheap Detective (1978)
as Sergeant Rizzuto
Home of Angels (1994)
Actor
Underworld (1996)
as Will Cassady
Farce of the Penguins (2006)
as Penguin from Boca (voice)
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959 (2016)
as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)
The Don Is Dead (1973)
as Don Talusso
Witness to the Mob (1998)
as Paul Castellano
Sugar Hill (1994)
as Gus Molino
Night of 100 Stars III (1990)
as Self
Just the Ticket (1998)
as Arty
The Devil's Daughter (1973)
as Alikhine
Prancer (1989)
as Orel Benton
Love Is All There Is (1996)
as Rudy
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special (2003)
as Self
Plain Clothes (1988)
as Mr. Wiseman
Crime Spree (2003)
as Angelo Giancarlo
Newman's Law (1974)
as John Dellanzia
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992)
as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
Jury Duty (1995)
as Judge Powell
Joys (1976)
as Self
Death Car on the Freeway (1979)
as Mr. Frisch
A Brooklyn State of Mind (1998)
as Uncle Guy
Farticus (1997)
as Zeus
Three Rooms in Manhattan (1965)
as Waiter (uncredited)
How to Pick Up Girls! (1978)
as Nathan Perlmutter
Fist of Honor (1993)
as Victor Malucci
The Unknown Trilogy (2008)
as Uncle Morty (segment "Frankie the Squirrel")
Keaton's Cop (1990)
as Louis Keaton
The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd (1974)
as Dominic Morrell
Chump Change (2000)
as The Frog
The Misery Brothers (1995)
as Don Frito Layleone
Me and the Kid (1993)
as Pawn Broker
Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter (1986)
as Abe
The Big Stuffed Dog (1981)
as Carnival Pitchman
Toma (1973)
as Donzer
The Comedy Company (1978)
as Jake
Tea Cakes or Cannoli (2000)
Actor
Gridlock (1980)
as Herb
A Christmas Journey Home (1996)
as Grandpa
Having Babies (1976)
as Al Schneider
Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals of 1926 (1976)
as Self
Cutaways (2013)
Actor