Born Aristotle Savalas, January 21, 1923 (some sources say 1924 or 1926), inGarden City, NJ; died of prostate cancer, January 22, 1994, in Los Angeles, CA. Television and film actor. Best known as the bald, lollipop-sucking policedetective Kojak on the television series of the same name, Savalas enjoyed acareer of more than three decades. In addition to Kojak, he made frequent guest appearances on a host of other television programs, from the 1960s seriesThe Twilight Zone to the late 1980s show The Equalizer. Savalas was also well-known for his film appearances, in which he often played villains. Among his more memorable films are The Birdman of Alcatraz (a performance which earned him an Academy Award nomination), On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Dirty Dozen, and Capricorn One. Beginning in 1973 he played lieutenant Theo Kojakon the popular Kojak series and later parlayed that role into a series of Kojak television movies that continued into the last years of his life. Among his numerous acting honors, Savalas received Emmy, Golden Globe, and Freedom Foundation awards for his work on the Kojak series.
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