Abe Vigoda Biography (1921-)

Born February 24, 1921, in New York, NY; son of Samuel (a tailor) and Lena (maiden name, Moses) Vigoda; married Beatrice Schy, February 25, 1968 (died 1992); children: Carol. Addresses: Agent: Fifi Oscard, Fifi Oscard Agency, 110 West 40th St., Suite 1601, New York, NY 10018; (voice) Cunningham/Escott/Slevin & Doherty Talent Agency, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 140, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor
Birth Details: February 24, 1921; New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Waiter, Trois chambres a Manhattan (also known as Three Rooms in Manhattan), 1965
Salvatore "Sal"/"Sally" Tessio, The Godfather (also known as Mario Puzo's "The Godfather"), Paramount, 1972
Don Tolusso, The Don Is Dead (also known as Beautiful but Deadly and The Deadly Kiss), Universal, 1973
John Dellanzia, Newman's Law, Universal, 1974
Salvatore "Sal"/"Sally" Tessio, The Godfather, Part II (also knownas Mario Puzo's "The Godfather, Part II"), Paramount, 1974
Sergeant Rizzuto, The Cheap Detective (also known as Neil Simon's "The Cheap Detective"), Columbia, 1978
Caesar, Cannonball Run II, Warner Bros., 1984
Commercial spokesperson, The Stuff, New World, 1985
Detective Edwards, Vasectomy, a Delicate Matter (also known as Vasectomy), Seymour Borde/Vandom International Pictures, 1986
Mr. Wiseman, Plain Clothes (also known as Glory Days), Paramount, 1988
Grandpa, Look Who's Talking (also known as Daddy's Home), TriStar, 1989
Orel Benton, Prancer, Orion, 1989
Louie Keaton, Keaton's Cop, Cannon Releasing, 1990
Waponi chief, Joe versus the Volcano (also known as Joe againstthe Volcano), Warner Bros., 1990
Grandpa Henry Bruggers, Home of Angels, Cloverlay Productions, 1993
Pawnbroker, Me and the Kid (also known as Taking Gary Feldman), Orion, 1993
Victor Malucci, Fist of Honor, PM Home Entertainment, 1993
Voice of Salvatore "Sal the Wheezer" Valestra, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (animated; also known as Batman: The Animated Movie, Batman: The Animated Movie--Mask of the Phantasm, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm: The Animated Movie, and Mask of the Phantasm: Batman the Animated Movie), Warner Bros., 1993
Alaskan grandpa, North, Columbia, 1994
Gus Molino, Sugar Hill (also known as Harlem), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1994
Don Frito Layleone, The Misery Brothers, 1995
Judge Powell, Jury Duty, Triumph Releasing, 1995
Rudy, Love Is All There Is, Samuel Goldwyn, 1996
Will Cassady, Underworld, Trimark Pictures, 1996
Otis, Good Burger, Paramount, 1997
Uncle Guy, A Brooklyn State of Mind, Miramax, 1997
Zeus, Me and the Gods (also known as Farticus), CinequanonPictures, 1997
Arty, Just the Ticket (also known as Gary & Linda), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1999
The frog, Chump Change, Miramax, 2000
Tea Cakes or Cannoli, Pellegrino Productions, 2000
Angelo Giancarlo, Crime Spree, DEJ Productions/Viacom, 2003
Some sources cite appearances in Soho They Call It, Mill at Bovina, c. 1998; and in The End of the Bar (also known as Hung and My Angel Is a Centerfold), Carbonated Films/Sub Q Films, 2002.
Television Appearances
Series
Four Star Revue, NBC, c. 1950-51
All-Star Revue, NBC, c. 1951-53
Ezra Braithwaite/Otis Greene, Dark Shadows, ABC, 1969
Detective Phil Fish, Barney Miller (also known as The Life andTimes of Captain Barney Miller), ABC, 1975-77
Phil Fish, Fish, ABC, 1977-78
Joe Kravitz, As the World Turns, CBS, 1985
Lyle DeFranco, Santa Barbara, NBC, 1989
Judge Rinehart, Lucky Luke, [Italy], beginning c. 1993
Miniseries
Paul Castellano, Witness to the Mob (also known as Der Pate vonManhattan), NBC, 1998
Movies
Alikhine, The Devil's Daughter, ABC, 1973
Dominic Morrell, The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd (also known as Pretty Boy Floyd), ABC, 1974
Al Schneider, Having Babies (also known as Giving Birth), ABC, 1976
Jake, The Comedy Company, CBS, 1978
Nathan Perlmutter, How to Pick Up Girls!, ABC, 1978
Mr. Frisch, Death Car on the Freeway (also known as Wheels of Death), CBS, 1979
Herb, Gridlock (also known as The Great American Traffic Jam), NBC, 1980
Specials
Detective Phil Fish, Joys (also known as Bob Hope Special: BobHope in "Joys"), NBC, 1976
Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals of 1928, NBC, 1976
Guest, Alan King's Final Warning, ABC, 1977

Circus of the Stars, CBS, 1977
Circus of the Stars #2, CBS, 1977
Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals Part 2, NBC, 1977
Carnival pitch man, The Big Stuffed Dog, NBC, 1980
The Greatest Practical Jokes of All Time, NBC, 1990
Night of 100 Stars III (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), NBC, 1990
Comedy Central Presents: The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Rob Reiner,Comedy Central, 2000
Comedy Central Presents the New York Friars Club Roast of Hugh M. Hefner, Comedy Central, 2001
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special, NBC, 2003
Awards Presentations
Mr. Big, The Second Annual TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV (also known as The Second Annual TV Land Awards), TV Land and Nickelodeon, 2004
Mike Delfino, The Third Annual TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV (also known as The Third Annual TV Land Awards), TV Land, 2005
Episodic
"Lunch Box," Suspense, CBS, 1949
Mr. Samuelson, "Play It Again Samuelson," The Sandy Duncan Show, CBS, 1972
Anton Valine, "A Matter of Principle," Mannix, CBS, 1973
Abe Kemper, "The Two-Faced Corpse," Hawaii Five-0 (also known as McGarrett), CBS, 1974
Al Dancer, "The Kirkoff Case," The Rockford Files (also known as Jim Rockford, Private Investigator), NBC, 1974
Michael Lance, "Something Less Than a Man," The Rookies, ABC, 1974
Norman Kilty, "The Best Judge Money Can Buy," Kojak, CBS, 1974
"The Street," Toma, ABC, 1974
Mr. Couzellous, "Search and Destroy," Cannon, CBS, 1975
Barlow, "Black Magic," The Bionic Woman, ABC, 1976
Himself, Break the Bank, ABC, 1976
Himself, Dinah! (also known as Dinah! & Friends), syndicated, 1976
Himself, Tattletales, CBS, 1976
Max, "Centerfold," Vega$, ABC, 1978
Phil "the Dancer" Gabriel, "Rosendahl and Gilda Stern Are Dead," The Rockford Files (also known as Jim Rockford, Private Investigator),NBC, 1978
Ben Ryan, "The Final Days," Eight Is Enough, ABC, 1979
Charlie Fletcher, "The Gopher's Opportunity/Home Sweet Home/Switch," The Love Boat, ABC, 1979
Grandpa Ben Rule, "Mary Ellen," B. J. and the Bear, NBC, 1979
Joe Lange, "Goose for the Gander," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1979
Phil Fish, "Burial," Barney Miller (also known as The Life andTimes of Captain Barney Miller), ABC, 1979
Ray Yellburton, "A Very Formal Heist," Supertrain, NBC, 1979
Sid Gordon, "Pentagram/The Casting Director," Fantasy Island, ABC,1979
Howard Mattson, "The Million Dollar Fur Heist," The Littlest Hobo,syndicated, 1980
Phil Fish, "Lady and the Bomb," Barney Miller (also known as The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller), ABC, 1981
Slick, "Stellascam," Harper Valley P.T.A. (also known as HarperValley), NBC, 1981
Mr. Corelli, "A Choice of Dreams," Tales from the Darkside, syndicated, 1986
Mr. Wagner, "Back to Oblivion," Superboy (also known as The Adventures of Superboy), syndicated, 1988
"The Dancer's Touch," B. L. Stryker, ABC, 1989
Bill Cody, "Harry's Will," MacGyver, ABC, 1990
George, "The Prodigal Father," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1990
"The Gift," Monsters, syndicated, 1990
"Last Race," The Black Stallion (also known as The Adventures of the Black Stallion, The New Adventures of the Black Stallion, and L'etalon noir), YTV (Canada) and The Family Channel, 1990
Guest, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, multiple appearances beginning c. 1993
Alfred Bartell, "You Can Call Me Johnson," Diagnosis Murder, CBS,1994
Detective Landis, "Remand," Law & Order (also known as Law& Order Prime), NBC, 1996
Harry, "All about Christmas Eve," Wings, NBC, 1996
Old man Lisa, "Grumpy Old Genie," Weird Science, USA Network, 1996
(Uncredited) Himself, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's"Saturday Night," Saturday Night, Saturday Night Live '80, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1996
Charlie the Hat, "Long Live the King," It's Good to Be King, 1997
Receptionist, "Clipped Wings," Touched by and Angel, CBS, 1997
Albert Spokaine, "Jury Duty," Promised Land (also known as Homeof the Brave), CBS, 1998
Kalman Wertzel, "Farmer Buchman," Mad about You (also known as Loved by You), NBC, 1998
The Reel to Reel Picture Show, PAX TV, 1998
Viva Variety, Comedy Central, 1998
Sal, "Norm, Crusading Social Worker," The Norm Show (also known asNorm), ABC, 1999
Voice of himself, "The Kiss Seen around the World," Family Guy (animated; also known as Padre de familia and Padre del familia),Fox, 2001
Guest, Howard Stern (also known as The Howard Stern Radio Show), E! Entertainment Television, 2005
Pilots
Donzer, Toma, ABC, 1973
Detective Phil Fish, The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller (pilot for the series Barney Miller), broadcast on Just for Laughs, ABC, 1974
Blind Uncle Morty, Frankie the Squirrel (short), c. 2005
Stage Appearances
Title role, Richard III, Public Theatre, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, c. 1960
John of Gaunt, Richard II, Public Theatre, New York City, 1961
Vagrant, The Cherry Orchard, Theatre Four, New York City, 1962-63
Abbe Bossard and Francois, A Darker Flower, Pocket Theatre, New York City, 1963
Hendricks, The Cat and the Canary, Stage 73, New York City, 1965
Man animal, The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charentin under the Direction of theMarquis de Sade (also known as Marat-Sade), Majestic Theatre, NewYork City, 1967
Landau, The Man in the Glass Booth, Royale Theatre, New York City,1968-69
Inquest, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1970
Abraham Lincoln, Tough to Get Help, Royale Theatre, 1972
Jonathan Brewster, Arsenic and Old Lace, Forty-Sixth Street Theatre, New York City, 1986-87
Night of 100 Stars III (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1990
Poker player, The Odd Couple (benefit performance), National Actors Theatre, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1991
Radio Appearances
Episodic
Guest, Howard Stern (also known as The Howard Stern Radio Show), 2005
RECORDINGS
Videos
Salvatore "Sal"/"Sally" Tessio, The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (also known as The Godfather Saga and The Godfather Trilogy; consists of The Godfather, The Godfather, Part II, and The Godfather: Part III), 1992
Video Games
Salvatore "Sal"/"Sally" Tessio, The Godfather: The Game, Electronic Arts, 2006

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

People Weekly, March 24, 1997, p. 48

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