Person Details

Birthday: 1921-02-24 04:19:51

Death: 2016-01-26 04:19:51

Aliases: Abraham Charles Vigodah

Gender: Male

Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 19

TV Involvements: 13


Most Famous Work

Biography

Tall, dour-faced and slouch-shouldered character actor Abe Vigoda 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.

Most Famous Work

Law & Order
Average
7

Law & Order

(1990) Detective Landis
Tales from the Darkside
Average
7

Tales from the Darkside

(1984) Jake Corelli
Murder, She Wrote
Average
8

Murder, She Wrote

(1984) George
The Rockford Files
Average
8

The Rockford Files

(1974) Al Dancer
Diagnosis: Murder
Average
7

Diagnosis: Murder

(1993) Alfredo Bartolo / Al Bartell / Mr. Johnson
The Bob Hope Show
Average
8

The Bob Hope Show

(1950) Self
Touched by an Angel
Average
7

Touched by an Angel

(1994) Receptionist Angel
Studio One
Average
4

Studio One

(1948) Old Train Passenger

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2013 N/A
2008 Uncle Morty (segment "Frankie the Squirrel")
2007 Penguin from Boca (voice)
2003 Angelo Giancarlo
N/A
2000 N/A
N/A
The Frog
1999 N/A
Arty
Abe Vigoda (voice)
1998 Paul Castellano
Uncle Guy
1997 Otis
Zeus
1996 Grandpa
N/A
Will Cassady
Rudy
1995 Judge Powell
Don Frito Layleone
1994 Receptionist Angel
Alaskan Grandpa
N/A
Gus Molino
N/A
1993 Salvatore Valestra (voice)
Alfredo Bartolo / Al Bartell / Mr. Johnson
Pawn Broker
Victor Malucci
1992 N/A
N/A
N/A
1990 Detective Landis
Self
N/A
Chief of the Waponis
Louis Keaton
1989 Orel Benton
Grandpa
N/A
1988 N/A
N/A
Mr. Wiseman
1986 Abe
1985 Stuff Commercial Spokesman
1984 George
Jake Corelli
Caesar
1981 Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)
Carnival Pitchman
N/A
1980 Herb
1979 N/A
Mr. Frisch
N/A
N/A
N/A
1978 Nathan Perlmutter
N/A
Jake
Sergeant Rizzuto
1977 Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)
Charlie Fletcher
N/A
Phil Fish
1976 Self
Al Schneider
Self
Self
N/A
1975 Det. Phil Fish
Det. Phil Fish (uncredited)
Philip Fish
1974 Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
Self
Al Dancer
Phil 'The Dancer' Gabriel
John Dellanzia
Dominic Morrell
N/A
1973 Don Talusso
Kilty
N/A
Alikhine
1972 N/A
N/A
Sal Tessio
1971 N/A
1968 Abe Kemper
1967 N/A
1966 N/A
1965 Waiter (uncredited)
1950 Self
1949 N/A
1948 Old Train Passenger
Year Character Movie/Tv

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