Abe Vigoda
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- February 24, 1921
- Died
- January 26, 2016 (aged 94)
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, USA
Biography
Tall, dour-faced and slouch-shouldered character actor Abraham Charles Vigoda (February 24, 1921 – January 26, 2016) 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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Cutaways
Movie
The Unknown Trilogy
Movie · as Uncle Morty (segment "Frankie the Squirrel")
Farce of the Penguins
Movie · as Penguin from Boca (voice)
Crime Spree
Movie · as Angelo Giancarlo
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
Movie · as Self
TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV
TV · 1 ep
Tea Cakes or Cannoli
Movie
Chump Change
Movie · as The Frog
Deadline
TV · as Joseph Spiaggio · 1 ep
The Norm Show
TV · 1 ep
Family Guy
TV · as Abe Vigoda (voice) · 1 ep
Just the Ticket
Movie · as Arty
Witness to the Mob
Movie · as Paul Castellano
A Brooklyn State of Mind
Movie · as Uncle Guy
Good Burger
Movie · as Otis
Farticus
Movie · as Zeus
Love Is All There Is
Movie · as Rudy
Underworld
Movie · as Will Cassady
A Christmas Journey Home
Movie · as Grandpa
Promised Land
TV · 1 ep
Jury Duty
Movie · as Judge Powell
The Misery Brothers
Movie · as Don Frito Layleone
North
Movie · as Alaskan Grandpa
Sugar Hill
Movie · as Gus Molino
Home of Angels
Movie
Weird Science
TV · 1 ep
Touched by an Angel
TV · as Receptionist Angel · 1 ep
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Movie · as Salvatore Valestra (voice)
Me and the Kid
Movie · as Pawn Broker
Fist of Honor
Movie · as Victor Malucci
Diagnosis: Murder
TV · as Alfredo Bartolo / Al Bartell / Mr. Johnson · 1 ep
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV · as Self (uncredited), Self - Guest · 1 ep
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980
Movie · as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
Mad About You
TV · as Kalman Wertzel · 1 ep
The Adventures of the Black Stallion
TV · 1 ep
Lucky Luke
TV · as Judge Rinehart · 1 ep
Keaton's Cop
Movie · as Louis Keaton
Night of 100 Stars III
Movie · as Self
Joe Versus the Volcano
Movie · as Chief of the Waponis
Wings
TV · as Harry · 1 ep
Law & Order
TV · as Detective Landis · 1 ep
Prancer
Movie · as Orel Benton
Look Who's Talking
Movie · as Grandpa
B.L. Stryker
TV · as Clayton Baskin · 1 ep
Plain Clothes
Movie · as Mr. Wiseman
Superboy
TV · 1 ep
Monsters
TV · as Dolan · 1 ep
Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter
Movie · as Abe
The Stuff
Movie · as Stuff Commercial Spokesman
MacGyver
TV · as Bill Cody · 1 ep
Cannonball Run II
Movie · as Caesar
Murder, She Wrote
TV · as George · 1 ep
Tales from the Darkside
TV · as Jake Corelli · 1 ep
The Big Stuffed Dog
Movie · as Carnival Pitchman
Harper Valley
TV · 1 ep
Gridlock
Movie · as Herb
Death Car on the Freeway
Movie · as Mr. Frisch
B. J. and the Bear
TV · 1 ep
The Littlest Hobo
TV · 1 ep
$weepstake$
TV · as Anthony · 1 ep
Supertrain
TV · as Ray Yellburton · 1 ep
The Cheap Detective
Movie · as Sergeant Rizzuto
The Comedy Company
Movie · as Jake
How to Pick Up Girls!
Movie · as Nathan Perlmutter
Vega$
TV · 1 ep
The Love Boat
TV · as Charlie Fletcher · 1 ep
Eight Is Enough
TV · 1 ep
Fish
TV · as Phil Fish · 35 eps
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
TV · as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited) · 4 eps
Joys
Movie · as Self
Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals of 1926
Movie · as Self
Having Babies
Movie · as Al Schneider
The Bionic Woman
TV · 1 ep
The Captain and Tennille
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Barney Miller
TV · as Philip Fish, Det. Phil Fish (uncredited) · 59 eps
Saturday Night Live
TV · as Self (uncredited) · 1 ep
Newman's Law
Movie · as John Dellanzia
The Godfather Part II
Movie · as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd
Movie · as Dominic Morrell
Tattletales
TV · 1 ep
Tony Orlando and Dawn
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Rockford Files
TV · as Al Dancer, Phil 'The Dancer' Gabriel · 1 ep
Dinah!
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Don Is Dead
Movie · as Don Talusso
The Devil's Daughter
Movie · as Alikhine
Toma
Movie · as Donzer
Kojak
TV · as Kilty · 1 ep
Toma
TV · 1 ep
The Godfather
Movie · as Sal Tessio
The Rookies
TV · 1 ep
The Sandy Duncan Show
TV · 1 ep
Cannon
TV · as Mr. Couzellous · 1 ep
Hawaii Five-O
TV · as Abe Kemper · 1 ep
Love, American Style
TV · as Mr. Burdick (uncredited) · 2 eps
Mannix
TV · as Anton Valine · 1 ep
Dark Shadows
TV · 3 eps
Three Rooms in Manhattan
Movie · as Waiter (uncredited)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Mike Douglas Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Bob Hope Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Buck Rogers
TV · 1 ep
Suspense
TV · 1 ep
Studio One
TV · as Old Train Passenger · 1 ep