Abe Vigoda
Encyclopedia
Abe Vigoda is an American
movie and television actor
. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather
, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish
on the sitcom television series Barney Miller
from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish
that aired from February 1977 to June 1978 on ABC
. Vigoda was still also appearing on Barney Miller at the same time as he was on Fish during the 1976–1977 TV season; at the start of the 1977–1978 season, his character retired from the police force and left Barney Miller to focus full time on the spinoff.
Following an erroneous report of his death in 1982, and another in 1987, Vigoda has been the subject of various running gag
s about whether he is alive or dead. A website was mounted and a Firefox extension was written solely to report on Vigoda's status. Good naturedly, he made regular appearances on various television shows to make fun of the error. In February 2010, Vigoda appeared with fellow octogenarian Betty White
in a widely seen and well-liked Superbowl ad for Snickers
candy bars.
, the son of Lena (née Moses) and Samuel Vigoda, Jewish immigrants from Russia
. His father was a tailor and had three sons; Abe Vigoda, Hy Vigoda and Bill Vigoda, was a comic-book artist
who drew for the Archie
comics franchise and others in the 1940s.
Vigoda was married to Beatrice Schy from February 25, 1968 until her death on April 30, 1992. Abe has one daughter, Carol, from a previous wife, Sonja Gohlke. Carol gave him three grandsons: Jaime, Paulie, and Steven. Vigoda enjoys playing handball
.
in The Godfather
(1972). According to director Francis Ford Coppola
's commentary on the DVD's widescreen edition, Vigoda landed the role of Tessio in an "open call," in which actors who don't have agents can come in for an audition. He gained further fame playing Detective Sgt. Phil Fish
on Barney Miller
, and then led its brief spinoff Fish
until it was canceled in 1978. Before Barney Miller, he made a few appearances on the ABC TV
soap Dark Shadows
as Ezra Braithwaite and Otis Greene. He has also appeared in several Broadway
productions, including Marat/Sade
(1967), The Man in the Glass Booth
(1968), Inquest (1970), Tough to Get Help (1972), and Arsenic and Old Lace
(1987). His trademark hunched posture and slow delivery of lines made him appear older than he really was.
magazine referred to Vigoda as dead. At the time, Vigoda was performing in a stage play in Calgary
. He took the error with good humor, posing for a photograph published in Variety
in which he was sitting up in a coffin, holding the mistaken issue of People. Jeff Jarvis
, a People employee at the time, said that the magazine's editors were known for "messing up" stories, and one of them repeatedly inserted the phrase "the late" in reference to Vigoda, even after a researcher correctly removed it. The edited (erroneous) version was what went to print.
The error was repeated in 1987 when a reporter for Secaucus, New Jersey
, television station WWOR, Channel 9
erroneously referred to him as "the late Abe Vigoda". She corrected her mistake the next day.
Vigoda has been the subject of many running gag
s related to mistaken reports of his death. In 1997, Vigoda appeared in the film Good Burger
as the character Otis, a restaurant's French fry man. Several jokes were made about his advanced age, including Otis saying "I should've died years ago". A Late Night with David Letterman
skit showed Letterman trying to summon Vigoda's ghost, but Vigoda walked in and declared, "I'm not dead yet, you pinhead!"
In May 2001, a Web site was mounted with only one purpose: to report whether Vigoda was alive. In 2005, a "tongue-in-cheek" Firefox extension was released with the sole purpose of telling the browser user Vigoda's status.
Continuing with the gag, Vigoda appeared frequently to make fun of his status on the television show Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, including a cameo on that show's final episode.
On January 23, 2009, Vigoda appeared live on The Today Show. He said he was doing well, joked about previous reports of his death and announced he had just completed a voice-over
for an H&R Block
commercial to air during the Super Bowl
. On December 30, 2009, Vigoda was invited back to The Today Show to appear live on the set for Matt Lauer
's birthday party. Lauer called him "our favorite guest of all times". Vigoda returned to The Today Show on June 8, 2011, to celebrate Meredith Vieira
's last day on the show. In a Comedy Central Roast
of Drew Carey
, with Abe Vigoda present in the audience, comedian Jeffrey Ross
stated "and my one regret is that Abe Vigoda isn't alive to see this." He followed that with "Drew, you go to Vegas, what's the over-under
on Abe Vigoda?"
Vigoda and Betty White
, both 88 years old at the time, appeared together in "Game", a Snickers
commercial that debuted during Super Bowl XLIV
on February 7, 2010. The plot made fun of the advanced ages of the two actors. The USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter
poll respondents rated the ad the highest of any shown during the game.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
movie and television actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish
Phil Fish
Detective Phil Fish was a fictional police officer in the TV series Barney Miller. He was played by Abe Vigoda.Fish was an odd character for a television detective: aged, grumpy, and suffering from a variety of maladies for which he constantly needed medication. The most recurring malady was...
on the sitcom television series Barney Miller
Barney Miller
Barney Miller is a situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker...
from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish
Fish (TV series)
Fish was a spin-off television series of the sitcom Barney Miller. It starred Abe Vigoda as New York Police Department Detective Phil Fish and Florence Stanley as his wife Bernice.- Overview :...
that aired from February 1977 to June 1978 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. Vigoda was still also appearing on Barney Miller at the same time as he was on Fish during the 1976–1977 TV season; at the start of the 1977–1978 season, his character retired from the police force and left Barney Miller to focus full time on the spinoff.
Following an erroneous report of his death in 1982, and another in 1987, Vigoda has been the subject of various running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
s about whether he is alive or dead. A website was mounted and a Firefox extension was written solely to report on Vigoda's status. Good naturedly, he made regular appearances on various television shows to make fun of the error. In February 2010, Vigoda appeared with fellow octogenarian Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
in a widely seen and well-liked Superbowl ad for Snickers
Snickers
Snickers is a brand name chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated. It consists of peanut nougat topped with roasted peanuts and caramel, enrobed in milk chocolate. Snickers has annual global sales of $2 billion....
candy bars.
Early life and family
Vigoda was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of Lena (née Moses) and Samuel Vigoda, Jewish immigrants from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. His father was a tailor and had three sons; Abe Vigoda, Hy Vigoda and Bill Vigoda, was a comic-book artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
who drew for the Archie
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
comics franchise and others in the 1940s.
Vigoda was married to Beatrice Schy from February 25, 1968 until her death on April 30, 1992. Abe has one daughter, Carol, from a previous wife, Sonja Gohlke. Carol gave him three grandsons: Jaime, Paulie, and Steven. Vigoda enjoys playing handball
American handball
American handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
.
Career
Vigoda gained fame mostly as a supporting character. His best known role is that of elder mobster Salvatore TessioSalvatore Tessio
Salvatore "Sal" Tessio is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and the film based on it. In the film, Tessio was portrayed by Abe Vigoda. In the sequel, Vigoda reprised the role in a flashback, set in late 1941, at the end of the film...
in The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
(1972). According to director Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's commentary on the DVD's widescreen edition, Vigoda landed the role of Tessio in an "open call," in which actors who don't have agents can come in for an audition. He gained further fame playing Detective Sgt. Phil Fish
Phil Fish
Detective Phil Fish was a fictional police officer in the TV series Barney Miller. He was played by Abe Vigoda.Fish was an odd character for a television detective: aged, grumpy, and suffering from a variety of maladies for which he constantly needed medication. The most recurring malady was...
on Barney Miller
Barney Miller
Barney Miller is a situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker...
, and then led its brief spinoff Fish
Fish (TV series)
Fish was a spin-off television series of the sitcom Barney Miller. It starred Abe Vigoda as New York Police Department Detective Phil Fish and Florence Stanley as his wife Bernice.- Overview :...
until it was canceled in 1978. Before Barney Miller, he made a few appearances on the ABC TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
soap Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
as Ezra Braithwaite and Otis Greene. He has also appeared in several Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions, including Marat/Sade
Marat/Sade
The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade , almost invariably shortened to Marat/Sade, is a 1963 play by Peter Weiss...
(1967), The Man in the Glass Booth
The Man in the Glass Booth
The Man in the Glass Booth is a 1975 American drama film directed by Arthur Hiller. The screenplay was adapted from Robert Shaw's 1967 novel and 1968 stage play, both of the same name. The plot was inspired by images of the trial of Adolf Eichmann....
(1968), Inquest (1970), Tough to Get Help (1972), and Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace (play)
Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. The play was directed by Bretaigne Windust, and opened on January 10, 1941. On September 25, 1943, the...
(1987). His trademark hunched posture and slow delivery of lines made him appear older than he really was.
False reports of his death
In 1982, PeoplePeople (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine referred to Vigoda as dead. At the time, Vigoda was performing in a stage play in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. He took the error with good humor, posing for a photograph published in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
in which he was sitting up in a coffin, holding the mistaken issue of People. Jeff Jarvis
Jeff Jarvis
Jeff Jarvis is an American journalist. Previously he was a television critic for TV Guide and People magazine, creator of Entertainment Weekly, Sunday editor and associate publisher of the New York Daily News, and a columnist on the San Francisco Examiner.-Career:Until recently Jarvis was...
, a People employee at the time, said that the magazine's editors were known for "messing up" stories, and one of them repeatedly inserted the phrase "the late" in reference to Vigoda, even after a researcher correctly removed it. The edited (erroneous) version was what went to print.
The error was repeated in 1987 when a reporter for Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
, television station WWOR, Channel 9
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
erroneously referred to him as "the late Abe Vigoda". She corrected her mistake the next day.
Vigoda has been the subject of many running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
s related to mistaken reports of his death. In 1997, Vigoda appeared in the film Good Burger
Good Burger
Good Burger is a 1997 American comedy film by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Nickelodeon Movies, released by Paramount Pictures, directed by Brian Robbins, and starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell...
as the character Otis, a restaurant's French fry man. Several jokes were made about his advanced age, including Otis saying "I should've died years ago". A Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
skit showed Letterman trying to summon Vigoda's ghost, but Vigoda walked in and declared, "I'm not dead yet, you pinhead!"
In May 2001, a Web site was mounted with only one purpose: to report whether Vigoda was alive. In 2005, a "tongue-in-cheek" Firefox extension was released with the sole purpose of telling the browser user Vigoda's status.
Continuing with the gag, Vigoda appeared frequently to make fun of his status on the television show Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, including a cameo on that show's final episode.
On January 23, 2009, Vigoda appeared live on The Today Show. He said he was doing well, joked about previous reports of his death and announced he had just completed a voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
for an H&R Block
H&R Block
H&R Block is a tax preparation company in the United States, claiming more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The Kansas City-based company also offers banking, personal finance and business consulting services.Founded in 1955 by brothers...
commercial to air during the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. On December 30, 2009, Vigoda was invited back to The Today Show to appear live on the set for Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
's birthday party. Lauer called him "our favorite guest of all times". Vigoda returned to The Today Show on June 8, 2011, to celebrate Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
's last day on the show. In a Comedy Central Roast
Comedy Central Roast
The Comedy Central Roasts are a series of celebrity roast specials which air on the Comedy Central cable network.-History:Between 1998 and 2001, Comedy Central produced and televised the annual roasts of the New York Friars' Club. After the original five-year agreement expired, the network began...
of Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
, with Abe Vigoda present in the audience, comedian Jeffrey Ross
Jeffrey Ross
Jeff Ross is an American stand-up comedian, insult comic, actor, director and author.-Early life:...
stated "and my one regret is that Abe Vigoda isn't alive to see this." He followed that with "Drew, you go to Vegas, what's the over-under
Over-under
An over-under or over/under bet is a wager in which a sportsbook will predict a number for a statistic in a given game , and bettors wager that the actual number in the game will be either higher or lower than that number...
on Abe Vigoda?"
Vigoda and Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
, both 88 years old at the time, appeared together in "Game", a Snickers
Snickers
Snickers is a brand name chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated. It consists of peanut nougat topped with roasted peanuts and caramel, enrobed in milk chocolate. Snickers has annual global sales of $2 billion....
commercial that debuted during Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
on February 7, 2010. The plot made fun of the advanced ages of the two actors. The USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter
USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter
The USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter is an annual survey taken of television commercials by the USA Today newspaper in a live poll during the telecast in the United States of the annual professional American football championship game of the National Football League...
poll respondents rated the ad the highest of any shown during the game.
Filmography
- Three Rooms in ManhattanThree Rooms in ManhattanThree Rooms in Manhattan is a 1965 French drama film filmed in New York City.-Cast:* Annie Girardot as Kay Larsi* Maurice Ronet as Francois Comte* O.E...
(1965) - The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
(1972) - The Don Is DeadThe Don Is Dead-Plot:While the head of an organized crime family is in prison his underboss schemes to replace him by secretly provoking a savage war between two other crime families....
(1973) - Newman's LawNewman's LawNewman's Law is a 1974 film directed by Richard T. Heffron. It stars George Peppard and Roger Robinson.-Cast:*George Peppard as Vince Newman*Roger Robinson as Garry*Eugene Roche as Reardon*Gordon Pinsent as Jack Eastman*Abe Vigoda as John Dellanzia...
(1974) - The Godfather Part IIThe Godfather Part IIThe Godfather Part II is a 1974 American gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, chronicling the story of the Corleone family following the events of the first film while also depicting the...
(1974) - The Cheap DetectiveThe Cheap DetectiveThe Cheap Detective is a 1978 American satirical comedy film written by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore as a follow-up to their successful Murder by Death ....
(1978) - Cannonball Run IICannonball Run IISee also Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy DashCannonball Run II comedy film featuring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest...
(1984) - The StuffThe StuffThe Stuff is a 1985 American horror film written, produced, and directed by Larry Cohen and starring Michael Moriarty, Garrett Morris, Andrea Marcovicci, and Paul Sorvino. It was also the last film of noted actor Alexander Scourby.-Plot:...
(1985) (cameo) - Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter (1986)
- Keaton's Cop (1988)
- Plain ClothesPlain Clothes (1988 film)Plain Clothes is a 1988 comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film stars Arliss Howard and was released by Paramount Pictures. As of 2011, it is available on VHS and 'Internet video streaming' through Netflix.-Plot summary:...
(19881988 in film-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
) - Look Who's TalkingLook Who's TalkingLook Who's Talking is a 1989 romantic comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling and stars John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. Bruce Willis plays the voice of Mollie's son, Mikey. The film features George Segal as Albert, the illegitimate father of Mikey.-Plot:Mollie Jensen is an accountant...
(1989) - PrancerPrancer (film)Prancer is a 1989 family film starring Sam Elliott and Cloris Leachman. It was directed by John D. Hancock. It is set in Three Oaks, Michigan, where town exteriors were filmed...
(1989) - Joe Versus the VolcanoJoe Versus the VolcanoJoe Versus the Volcano is a 1990 comedy film written and directed by John Patrick Shanley and starring Tom Hanks and—in three roles—Meg Ryan. The film is writer Shanley's directorial debut and the first of three films pairing Hanks and Ryan....
(1990) - Fist of Honor (1993)
- Me and the KidMe and the KidMe and the Kid is a 1993 comedy film directed by Dan Curtis. It stars Danny Aiello and Alex Zuckerman.-Cast:*Danny Aiello as Harry*Alex Zuckerman as Gary*Joe Pantoliano as Roy*Cathy Moriarty as Rose*David Dukes as Victor Feldman...
(1993) - Batman: Mask of the PhantasmBatman: Mask of the PhantasmBatman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 animated superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, and is a spin-off of the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series...
(1993) (voice) - Home of AngelsHome of AngelsHome of Angels is a 1994 feature film written by James Oliva and Nicolas L. DePace and directed by Nick Stagliano.-Plot:Billy defies his mother and father and makes a secret trip from Long Island to Philadelphia to sneak his grandfather out of a nursing home and bring him home for the holidays...
(1994) - Sugar HillSugar Hill (1994 film)Sugar Hill is a 1994 American crime film starring Wesley Snipes and Michael Wright as brothers Roemello and Raynathan Skuggs. The film focuses on the two brothers, who are major drug dealers in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City.-Plot:...
(1994) - NorthNorth (film)North is an American 1994 comedy film directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dan Aykroyd, Reba McEntire, and Alan Arkin...
(1994) - The Misery Brothers (1995)
- Jury DutyJury Duty (film)Jury Duty is a 1995 comedy film directed by John Fortenberry and starring Pauly Shore, Tia Carrere, Stanley Tucci, Brian Doyle-Murray, Shelley Winters, and Abe Vigoda.The film was Billie Bird's last screen appearance.- Plot:...
(1995) - Love Is All There IsLove Is All There IsLove Is All There Is is a 1996 romantic comedy film directed by Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor, who also both star in the movie.- Plot :...
(1996) - UnderworldUnderworld (1996 film)Underworld is a 1997 comedy/thriller film. It was directed by Roger Christian and stars Denis Leary, Joe Mantegna and Annabella Sciorra. It is rated R for pervasive strong language and violence, and for sexuality.-Plot:...
(1996) - Me and the Gods (1997)
- A Brooklyn State of Mind (1997)
- Good BurgerGood BurgerGood Burger is a 1997 American comedy film by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Nickelodeon Movies, released by Paramount Pictures, directed by Brian Robbins, and starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell...
(1997) - Just the TicketJust the Ticket (film)Just the Ticket is a 1999 film starring Andy García and Andie MacDowell. Garcia was also the producer. The movie was originally titled The Ticket Scalper.- Plot :...
(1999) - Tea Cake or Cannoli (2000)
- Crime SpreeCrime SpreeCrime Spree is a 2003 film written and directed by Brad Mirman. It stars well known actors Gerard Depardieu and Harvey Keitel as well as french singers Johnny Hallyday and Renaud.- Plot :...
(2003) - Chump Change (2004)
- Farce of the PenguinsFarce of the PenguinsFarce of the Penguins is a 2007 American direct-to-video parody of the 2005 documentary March of the Penguins. The motion picture features Samuel L. Jackson as narrator, with the two main characters being voiced by Bob Saget, who also wrote and directed the film, and Lewis Black...
(2007) (voice) - Frankie the Squirrel (2007)
- The Unknown Trilogy (2008)
Television work
- Studio One (1949)
- Dark ShadowsDark ShadowsDark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
(cast member in 1969) - The Devil's Daughter (1973)
- TomaToma (TV series)Toma was a short-lived television series that ran on ABC in 1973 and 1974.-Overview:The series starred Tony Musante and Susan Strasberg and was based on the real-life story and published biography of police detective David Toma. Toma had compiled an amazing arrest record during his years on the...
(1973) - The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd (1974)
- The Rockford FilesThe Rockford FilesThe Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
(1974) - Hawaii Five-OHawaii Five-OHawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
(1974) - Barney MillerBarney MillerBarney Miller is a situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker...
(cast member from 1975–1977) - The Bionic WomanThe Bionic WomanThe Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
(1976) - Having Babies (1976)
- Fish (1977–1978)
- SoapSoap (TV series)Soap is an American sitcom that originally ran on ABC from 1977 to 1981.The show was created as a parody of daytime soap operas, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial format and included melodramatic plot elements such...
(1978) - The Comedy CompanyThe Comedy CompanyThe Comedy Company was an Australian comedy television series first aired from 16 February 1988 until about 11 November 1990 on Network Ten, Sunday night and was created and directed by Ian McFadyen, and co directed and produced by Jo Lane...
(1978) - How to Pick Up Girls! (1978)
- Death Car on the FreewayDeath Car on the FreewayDeath Car on the Freeway is a 1979 made for television movie starring Shelley Hack. In a plot similar to Steven Spielberg's Duel, this tells the story of an unseen psycho driver who is dubbed the Freeway Fiddler....
(1979) - B. J. and the Bear (1980)
- GridlockGridlockThe term gridlock is defined as "A state of severe road congestion arising when continuous queues of vehicles block an entire network of intersecting streets, bringing traffic in all directions to a complete standstill; a traffic jam of this kind." The term originates from a situation possible in...
(1980) - The Big Stuffed DogThe Big Stuffed DogThe Big Stuffed Dog is a 1981 children's film about the adventures of a plush Snoopy....
(1981) - As the World TurnsAs the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
(cast member in 1985) - Tales from the DarksideTales from the DarksideTales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
- A Choice of Dreams in 1986 - SuperboySuperboySuperboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
- "Back to Oblivion" - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara (TV series)Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
(cast member in 1989) - MacGyverMacGyverMacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
(ep. 7 season 6) - Lucky LukeLucky LukeLucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
(1993) (canceled after 8 episodes) - Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
(1995) (1 ep. as Briscoe's retired partner) - Wings (NBC TV series) (1996)
- Witness to the MobWitness to the MobWitness to the Mob is a made for TV film which premiered on May 10, 1998.-Plot:Film follows the rise of Sammy Gravano in ranks of NY Cosa Nostra, his turning to government witness in legal trials of John Gotti and his life in Witness protection program....
(1998) - The Norm ShowThe Norm ShowThe Norm Show is an American television sitcom that ran from 1999 through 2001 on the ABC television network.-Synopsis:...
(1999) (1 ep. as Sal) - Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
(recurring character) - Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
(2001) (Cameo)
External links
- Sketch of Vigoda by cartoonist Drew Friedman