Abe Vigoda
Actor
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 ... Show more...
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. Show less...
Filmography - Acting
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Farce of the Penguins (2007)
As: Penguin from Boca (voice)
In this spoof of "March of the Penguins," nature footage of penguins near the South Pole gets a soundtrack of human voices. Carl and Jimmy, best friends, walk 70 miles to the mating grounds where the female penguins wait. The huddled masses of females - especially Melissa and Vicki - talk about males, mating, and what might happen this year. Carl, Jimmy, and the other males make the long trek talking about ...
Runtime: 80 min.
Directed by: Bob Saget
Stars: Carlos Mencia | Samuel L. Jackson | Brie Larson | Alyson Hannigan | Bob Saget
Just the Ticket (1999)
As: Arty
Gary Starke is one of the best ticket scalpers in New York City. His girlfriend, Linda, doesn't approve of his criminal lifestyle, though, and dumps him when she gets the opportunity to study cooking in Paris. Gary realizes that he has to give up scalping if he has any chance of winning her back. But before he does, he wants to cash out on one last big score. He gets his chance when the ...
Runtime: 116 min.
Directed by: Richard Wenk
Stars: Andie MacDowell | Alice Drummond | Fred Asparagus | Richard Bradford | Andy García
Witness To The Mob (1998)
As: Paul Castellano
Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano was mafiosi. He started out as a soldier, but his talent for murder, including the slayings of his best friends, his wife's brother and his own boss, Paul Castellano, saw him rise to under-boss in the Gambino crime family. However, betrayals within the family saw him break the code of silence and became the highest ranking member of the mob to turn into a rat - 'a rat in a suit,- ...
Runtime: 124 min.
Directed by: Thaddeus O'Sullivan
Stars: Philip Baker Hall | Tom Sizemore | Nicholas Turturro | Debi Mazar | Abe Vigoda
A Brooklyn State of Mind (1998)
As: Uncle Guy
Al Stanco has lived all of his life in Brooklyn and does some work for the local crime lord, Danny Parente. New to the neighbourhood is Gabriela, a filmmaker shooting a documentary on the real Brooklyn. Al and Gabriela become friendly but the relationship is strained when he discovers her true goal is to expose Parente's criminal activities. When Al sees the evidence Gabriela has uncovered, which ...
Runtime: 89 min.
Stars: Danny Aiello | Maria Grazia Cucinotta | Abe Vigoda | Vincent Spano | Jennifer Esposito
Good Burger (1997)
As: Otis
Two hapless youths lead their burger joint in a fight against the giant fast-food chain across the street.
Runtime: 95 min.
Directed by: Brian Robbins
Stars: Kenan Thompson | Abe Vigoda | Shar Jackson | Sinbad | Kel Mitchell
Underworld (1997)
As: Will Cassady
A crook sets out to get revenge on the thugs who hurt his father in this bloody noir-style crime drama. After being released from prison, Johnny Crown (Denis Leary) goes after Frank (Joe Mantegna), one of the mobsters involved in a series of Father's Day killings. But Johnny isn't certain Frank is responsible for his father's injuries and seeks help from a sex therapist (Annabella Sciorra) to make sure ...
Runtime: 95 min.
Directed by: Roger Christian
Stars: Joe Mantegna | Abe Vigoda | Denis Leary | Annabella Sciorra | Larry Bishop
Love Is All There Is (1996)
As: Rudy
The Malacicis, a hard-working Italian family recently immigrated from Florence, open a fancy restaurant in the Bronx, N.Y., drawing the ire of another clan. Mike and Sadie Capomezzo, equally hard-working Sicilian caterers from the area, find they cannot stand Piero and Maria Malacici. But things get complicated when the Malacicis' daughter, Gina, and the Capomezzos' son, Rosario, fall in love.
Runtime: 120 min.
Directed by: Joseph Bologna | Renée Taylor
Stars: Angelina Jolie | Abe Vigoda | Paul Sorvino | Connie Stevens | Lainie Kazan
Jury Duty (1995)
As: Judge Powell
When jobless Tommy Collins discovers that sequestered jurors earn free room and board as well as $5-a-day, he gets himself assigned to a jury in a murder trial. Once there, he does everything he can to prolong the trial and deliberations and make the sequestration more comfortable for himself.
Runtime: 88 min.
Directed by: John Fortenberry
Stars: Stanley Tucci | Brian Doyle-Murray | Pauly Shore | Abe Vigoda | Tia Carrere
North (1994)
As: Alaskan Grandpa
Eleven-year-old North has had it with his parents. They are always busy with their careers and don't give North the attention he needs, so he files a lawsuit against them. The judge rules that North should either find new parents or return to his own parents within two months. Thus north starts off on an hilarious journey around the world to find the parents that really care about him.
Runtime: 87 min.
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Stars: Elijah Wood | Jason Alexander | Bruce Willis | Jon Lovitz | Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Sugar Hill (1994)
As: Gus Molino
In the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, the Mafia steps in when a drug dealer quits his partner brother to lead a straight life with his girlfriend.
Runtime: 123 min.
Directed by: Leon Ichaso
Stars: Donald Faison | Wesley Snipes | Leslie Uggams | Michael Wright | O.L. Duke
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
As: Salvatore Valestra (voice)
An old flame of Bruce Wayne's strolls into town, re-heating up the romance between the two. At the same time, a mass murderer with an axe for one hand begins systematically eliminating Gotham's crime bosses. Due to the person's dark appearance, he is mistaken for Batman. Now on the run, Batman must solve the mystery and deal with the romance between him and Andrea Beaumont.
Runtime: 76 min.
Directed by: Bruce Timm | Eric Radomski
Stars: Dana Delany | Mark Hamill | Abe Vigoda | Hart Bochner | Kevin Conroy
Fist of Honor (1993)
As: Victor Malucci
As two rival Godfathers view to take control of the city, a hot-tempered family member kills two relatives of the opposing family, breaking the "Truce of Honor". Now the war begins! As a young boxer seeks revenge for his fiancée's death, the streets become a real-life battlefield... to settle the score!
Runtime: 95 min.
Directed by: Richard Pepin
Stars: Joey House | Nicholas Worth | Frank Sivero | Sam Jones | Harry Guardino
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
As: Chief of the Waponis
Hypochondriac Joe Banks finds out he has six months to live, quits his dead end job, musters the courage to ask his female co-worker out on a date, and is then hired to jump into a volcano by a mysterious visitor.
Runtime: 102 min.
Directed by: John Patrick Shanley
Stars: Tom Hanks | Dan Hedaya | Lloyd Bridges | Meg Ryan | Ossie Davis
Keaton's Cop (1990)
As: Louis Keaton
Ex-mobster Keaton, now living in a retirement home, narrowly misses being the target of a mob hit. Policemen Jake, an old friend of Keaton's, and Gable, a violent cop who takes an immediate disliking to the aging gangster are called in to keep Keaton safe as well as investigate the hit. There is a turn of events though when Jake is killed by the hit-men...Gable and Keaton are forced to get along while they ...
Runtime: 100 min.
Directed by: Robert Burge
Stars: Art LaFleur | Don Rickles | Tracy Brooks Swope | Abe Vigoda | Lee Majors
Prancer (1989)
As: Orel Benton
Jessica, the daughter of an impoverished apple farmer, still believes in Santa Claus. So when she comes across a reindeer with an injured leg, it makes perfect sense to her to assume that it is Prancer, who had fallen from a Christmas display in town. She hides the reindeer in her barn and feeds it cookies, until she can return it to Santa. Her father finds the reindeer an decides to sell it to the ...
Runtime: 103 min.
Directed by: John D. Hancock
Stars: Sam Elliott | Cloris Leachman | Abe Vigoda | Rutanya Alda | Michael Constantine
Look Who's Talking (1989)
As: Grandpa
Mollie is a single working mother who's out to find the perfect father for her child. Her baby, Mikey, prefers James, a cab driver turned babysitter who has what it takes to make them both happy. But Mollie won't even consider James. It's going to take all the tricks a baby can think of to bring them together before it's too late
Runtime: 93 min.
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Stars: George Segal | Bruce Willis | Olympia Dukakis | John Travolta | Kirstie Alley
Plain Clothes (1988)
As: Mr. Wiseman
To prove his brother's innocence, undercover officer Nick enrolls in high school again, dealing with crushes, bullies, humiliations, popularity swings, and quirky teachers and staff to find the real murderer.
Runtime: 98 min.
Directed by: Martha Coolidge
Stars: Seymour Cassel | Diane Ladd | Suzy Amis | Arliss Howard | George Wendt
The Stuff (1985)
As: Stuff Commercial Spokesman
Weird yummy goo erupts from the earth and is discovered by a couple of miners. They taste it and decide to market it because it tastes so good. The American public literally eats up the new dessert sensation now known as the Stuff but, unfortunately, it takes over the brains of those who eat it, turning them into zombie-like creatures. It is up to ex-FBI agent David Rutherford and a kid named Jason to stop ...
Runtime: 87 min.
Directed by: Larry Cohen
Stars: Garrett Morris | Andrea Marcovicci | Michael Moriarty | Paul Sorvino | Scott Bloom
Cannonball Run II (1984)
As: Caesar
The original characters from the first Cannonball Run movie compete in an illegal race across the country once more in various cars and trucks.
Runtime: 108 min.
Directed by: Hal Needham
Stars: Shirley MacLaine | Dom DeLuise | Burt Reynolds | Dean Martin | Sammy Davis, Jr.
Death Car on the Freeway (1979)
As: Mr. Frisch
An unknown, psychotic driver uses his van to kill unsuspecting female drivers on the freeway.
Runtime: 91 min.
Directed by: Hal Needham
Stars: Frank Gorshin | Peter Graves | Barbara Rush | Harriet Hilliard | Shelley Hack
The Cheap Detective (1978)
As: Sergeant Rizzuto
Spoofing the entire 1940s detective genre, and his own performances as a bumbling private detective, Peter Falk plays Lou Pekinpaugh, a San Francisco private detective accused of murdering his partner at the instigation of his mistress, the partner's wife, Georgia Merkle.
Runtime: 92 min.
Directed by: Robert Moore
Stars: Stockard Channing | Ann-Margret | Peter Falk | Sid Caesar | Eileen Brennan
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
As: Tessio
In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.
Runtime: 202 min.
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Stars: Robert De Niro | Diane Keaton | Robert Duvall | Al Pacino | John Cazale
Newman's Law (1974)
As: John Dellanzia
LAPD Officer Newman has not gotten the reputation of a straight arrow by avoiding conflict when fighting for right. In this police drama, his honesty is put to the test when he and his partner discover a international drug ring involving some of the department's highest ranking officers.
Runtime: 98 min.
Directed by: Richard T. Heffron
Stars: Gordon Pinsent | Abe Vigoda | Eugene Roche | George Peppard | Roger Robinson
The Don Is Dead (1973)
As: Don Talusso
After his mistress is murdered a Mafia leader goes after the killer with a bloody vengeance. Soon after the hunt begins, a gang war ensues.
Runtime: 115 min.
Directed by: Richard Fleischer
Stars: Robert Forster | Frederic Forrest | Abe Vigoda | Anthony Quinn | Al Lettieri
The Devil's Daughter (1973)
As: Alikhine
A young girl whose mother had sold her soul to Satan when she was born is told by Satan that she must marry a fellow demon.
Runtime: 74 min.
Directed by: Jeannot Szwarc
Stars: Belinda Montgomery | Shelley Winters | Martha Scott | Jonathan Frid | Robert Foxworth
The Godfather (1972)
As: Salvatore "Sally" Tessio
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
Runtime: 175 min.
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Stars: James Caan | Robert Duvall | Marlon Brando | Al Pacino | Richard S. Castellano