Vic Tayback
Encyclopedia
Victor "Vic" Tayback was an American
actor.
, Syria
. Tayback moved with his family to Burbank, California
, during his teenage years and attended Burbank High School. He ended up living in the city for the rest of his life.
His most famous role was diner owner Mel Sharples
in the 1974 movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
, followed by his reprisal of the role on the related television series, Alice
, which ran from 1976 to 1985. He was the only cast member of the original film to reprise his role in the television version. (Film co-star Diane Ladd
later joined the TV version of Alice, playing a different character, and Alfred Lutter who reprised his role as Tommy for the pilot episode.).
Tayback also guest starred in an episode of the fourth season of All in the Family
which was called "Et tu, Archie?" In this particular episode, Tayback portrayed Archie's old friend, Joe Tucker.
Tayback also starred as the alien gangster boss Jojo Krako in the Star Trek
episode "A Piece of the Action".
Star:
Recurring Role:
Guest Star:
Director:
Tayback also appeared in TV commercials including one for Aqua Velva
after-shave lotion as a spectator in the stands who shouts at then-Cincinnati Reds
third baseman
Pete Rose
"Hey, Pete Rose! What does a man really want in an after-shave lotion?"
One of Tayback's last roles was in the 1989 video remake of the Buck Owens
(and later The Beatles
) hit "Act Naturally" which featured Owens and former Beatle Ringo Starr
.
Tayback died at the age of sixty of a sudden heart attack
in 1990 and was interred at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery
in Los Angeles
. Tayback was survived by his wife Sheila, whom he married in 1962. They had one son, Christopher Tayback, who briefly acted before attending law school
. Christopher is a partner at Quinn Emanuel in Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor.
Life and career
Tayback was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, the son of Helen (née Hanood) and Najeeb James Tayback. His parents were immigrants from AleppoAleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Tayback moved with his family to Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, during his teenage years and attended Burbank High School. He ended up living in the city for the rest of his life.
His most famous role was diner owner Mel Sharples
Mel Sharples
Melvin Emory Sharples is a fictional character in the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and the television sitcom series, Alice. The character was played by the late Vic Tayback, who reprised his movie role for the television show.- The man with the Spatula :Melvin Emory Sharples was born...
in the 1974 movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a 1974 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Robert Getchell. It stars Ellen Burstyn as a widow who travels with her preteen son across the American Southwest in search of a better life, along with Alfred Lutter as her son and Kris...
, followed by his reprisal of the role on the related television series, Alice
Alice (TV series)
Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job...
, which ran from 1976 to 1985. He was the only cast member of the original film to reprise his role in the television version. (Film co-star Diane Ladd
Diane Ladd
Diane Ladd is an American actress, film director, producer and published author. She has appeared in over 120 roles, on television, and in miniseries and feature films, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore , Wild at Heart , Rambling Rose , Ghosts of Mississippi, Primary Colors, 28 Days , and...
later joined the TV version of Alice, playing a different character, and Alfred Lutter who reprised his role as Tommy for the pilot episode.).
Tayback also guest starred in an episode of the fourth season of All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
which was called "Et tu, Archie?" In this particular episode, Tayback portrayed Archie's old friend, Joe Tucker.
Tayback also starred as the alien gangster boss Jojo Krako in the Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode "A Piece of the Action".
Star:
- AliceAlice (TV series)Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job...
as Mel Sharples - GriffGriff (TV series)Griff is a 13-episode ABC crime drama starring Lorne Greene and Ben Murphy, which aired from September 29, 1973, to January 4, 1974. Nine months after the expiration of his nearly 14-year role as Ponderosa Ranch patriarch Ben Cartwright on NBC's Bonanza western series, the Canadian native Greene...
as Captain Barney Marcus. Series starred Lorne GreeneLorne GreeneLorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
in title role and Ben MurphyBen MurphyBenjamin E. Murphy is an American actor. He is known for his role in the ABC television series Alias Smith and Jones, co-starring as Kid Curry, first with Pete Duel and later with Roger Davis.-Early life:... - Khan!Khan!Khan! was an American television detective series. Set in San Francisco, it was named after the central character, a Chinese-American detective, played by Khigh Dheigh. Evan C. Kim and Irene Yah-Ling Sun featured as his relatives. Four episodes were aired in February 1975 on CBS...
as Lt. Gubbins - All Dogs Go to HeavenAll Dogs Go to HeavenAll Dogs Go to Heaven is a 1989 Irish-English animated film directed and produced by Don Bluth and released by United Artists. The film tells the story of two dogs, Charlie B. Barkin and his loyal best friend Itchy Itchiford...
as Carface Caruthers (replaced by Ernest BorgnineErnest BorgnineErnest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty...
in All Dogs Go to Heaven 2All Dogs Go to Heaven 2All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 is a 1996 American animated family film, and a sequel to United Artists' 1989 animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven. It is directed by Larry Leker and Paul Sabella...
)
Recurring Role:
- The Love BoatThe Love BoatThe Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
Guest Star:
- 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,...
(Episode: Bones of Contention) - Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
(Episode: A Man with a Problem) - All in the FamilyAll in the FamilyAll in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
(Episode: Et Tu, Archie?) as Joe Tucker - ArnieArnie (TV series)Arnie was a television sitcom that ran for two seasons on the CBS network. It starred Herschel Bernardi, Sue Ane Langdon, and Roger Bowen....
(Episode: Boom or Bust) as Sergeant - Star TrekStar Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
(Episode: A Piece of the Action) as Jojo Krako - 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...
(Episode: Stakeout) as Mr. Savocheck - BewitchedBewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
(Episode: The Good Fairy Strikes Again) as Officer #1 - ColumboColumboColumbo is an American crime fiction television film series, which starred Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. It was created by William Link and Richard Levinson. The show popularized the inverted detective story format...
(Episode: Suitable for Framing) as Sam Franklin - Get SmartGet SmartGet Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
(Episode: Appointment in Sahara) as Jamal - The Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
(Episode: Second Story Story) as Officer Jackson - The MonkeesThe Monkees (TV series)The Monkees is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series...
(Episodes: Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers, Son of a Gypsy, Art for Monkees' Sake) - 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...
(Episodes: The New Man, (as Alan Coombs) Season 1, 1984; Basher Malone (as "Tippy Ryan") Season 4, 1988) - Daniel BooneDaniel Boone (TV series)Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
(Episode: Onatha) as Hongas - T. J. HookerT. J. HookerT.J. Hooker is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982 on ABC and ran on the network until May 4, 1985...
(Episode: Hooker's War) as Lt. Pete Benedict
Director:
- Alice (Alice Faces the Music)
Tayback also appeared in TV commercials including one for Aqua Velva
Aqua Velva
Aqua Velva is a line of men's grooming products, including a widely advertised aftershave originally introduced as an alcohol-based mouthwash for men in 1929 by the JB Williams Company . As of 2009, it is marketed worldwide by Combe Incorporated...
after-shave lotion as a spectator in the stands who shouts at then-Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
"Hey, Pete Rose! What does a man really want in an after-shave lotion?"
One of Tayback's last roles was in the 1989 video remake of the Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
(and later The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
) hit "Act Naturally" which featured Owens and former Beatle Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
.
Tayback died at the age of sixty of a sudden heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1990 and was interred at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Tayback was survived by his wife Sheila, whom he married in 1962. They had one son, Christopher Tayback, who briefly acted before attending law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
. Christopher is a partner at Quinn Emanuel in Los Angeles.
External links
- Vic Tayback at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...