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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
February 24, 1921
Died
January 26, 2016
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Also Known As
- Abraham Charles Vigodah
- ایب ویگودا
Abe Vigoda
0.9 Popularity
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
🎬
0.0
Cutaways
2013
2.0
Uncle Morty (segment "Frankie the Squirrel")
The Unknown Trilogy
2008
4.0
Penguin from Boca (voice)
Farce of the Penguins
2006
6.8
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
2003
5.6
Angelo Giancarlo
Crime Spree
2003
🎬
0.0
TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV
2003
0.0
Tea Cakes or Cannoli
2000
0.0
Joseph Spiaggio
Deadline
2000
3.5
The Frog
Chump Change
2000
6.8
The Norm Show
1999
Credits
🎬
Cutaways
2013
0.0
The Unknown Trilogy
as Uncle Morty (segment "Frankie the Squirrel")
2008
2.0
Farce of the Penguins
as Penguin from Boca (voice)
2006
4.0
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
as Self
2003
6.8
Crime Spree
as Angelo Giancarlo
2003
5.6
🎬
TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV
2003
0.0
Tea Cakes or Cannoli
2000
0.0
Deadline
as Joseph Spiaggio
2000
0.0
Chump Change
as The Frog
2000
3.5
The Norm Show
1999
6.8
Family Guy
as Abe Vigoda (voice)
1999
7.4
Witness to the Mob
as Paul Castellano
1998
7.1
Just the Ticket
as Arty
1998
5.5
A Brooklyn State of Mind
as Uncle Guy
1998
4.8
Good Burger
as Otis
1997
6.1
Farticus
as Zeus
1997
0.0
🎬
A Christmas Journey Home
as Grandpa
1996
0.0
Promised Land
1996
6.6
Underworld
as Will Cassady
1996
5.0
Love Is All There Is
as Rudy
1996
5.1
Jury Duty
as Judge Powell
1995
4.4
The Misery Brothers
as Don Frito Layleone
1995
2.0
Touched by an Angel
as Receptionist Angel
1994
7.2
North
as Alaskan Grandpa
1994
5.0
Weird Science
1994
6.7
Sugar Hill
as Gus Molino
1994
5.6
Home of Angels
1994
0.0
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
as Salvatore Valestra (voice)
1993
7.5
Diagnosis: Murder
as Alfredo Bartolo / Al Bartell / Mr. Johnson
1993
7.1
Me and the Kid
as Pawn Broker
1993
4.7
Fist of Honor
as Victor Malucci
1993
5.3
Mad About You
as Kalman Wertzel
1992
6.7
Lucky Luke
as Judge Rinehart
1992
5.7
The Adventures of the Black Stallion
1992
6.3
Law & Order
as Detective Landis
1990
7.4
Night of 100 Stars III
as Self
1990
4.0
Wings
as Harry
1990
6.9
Joe Versus the Volcano
as Chief of the Waponis
1990
5.8
Keaton's Cop
as Louis Keaton
1990
3.7
Prancer
as Orel Benton
1989
5.9
Look Who's Talking
as Grandpa
1989
6.3
B.L. Stryker
as Clayton Baskin
1989
6.0
Monsters
1988
7.1
Superboy
1988
6.4
Plain Clothes
as Mr. Wiseman
1988
6.0
Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter
as Abe
1986
1.0
MacGyver
as Bill Cody
1985
7.7
The Stuff
as Stuff Commercial Spokesman
1985
6.0
Tales from the Darkside
as Jake Corelli
1984
7.2
Murder, She Wrote
as George
1984
7.5
Cannonball Run II
as Caesar
1984
5.4
The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic
as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)
1981
9.3
The Big Stuffed Dog
as Carnival Pitchman
1981
3.0
Harper Valley
1981
6.3
Gridlock
as Herb
1980
6.0
The Littlest Hobo
1979
6.9
Death Car on the Freeway
as Mr. Frisch
1979
5.3
B. J. and the Bear
1979
5.5
Supertrain
1979
4.3
🎬
Sweepstakes
1979
0.0
How to Pick Up Girls!
as Nathan Perlmutter
1978
2.0
Vega$
1978
7.0
The Comedy Company
as Jake
1978
0.0
The Cheap Detective
as Sergeant Rizzuto
1978
6.2
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)
1977
8.6
The Love Boat
as Charlie Fletcher
1977
6.3
Eight Is Enough
1977
6.0
Fish
as Phil Fish
1977
5.7
Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals of 1926
as Self
1976
0.0
Having Babies
as Al Schneider
1976
6.0
The Captain and Tennille
as Self
1976
5.5
Joys
as Self
1976
4.0
The Bionic Woman
1976
7.0
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
1975
6.9
Barney Miller
as Philip Fish
1975
7.3
Barney Miller
as Det. Phil Fish (uncredited)
1975
7.3
Barney Miller
as Det. Phil Fish
1975
7.3
The Godfather Part II
as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
1974
8.6
Tony Orlando and Dawn
as Self
1974
3.5
The Rockford Files
as Al Dancer
1974
7.5
The Rockford Files
as Phil 'The Dancer' Gabriel
1974
7.5
Newman's Law
as John Dellanzia
1974
6.1
The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd
as Dominic Morrell
1974
4.0
Tattletales
1974
6.0
The Don Is Dead
as Don Talusso
1973
6.0
Kojak
as Kilty
1973
7.0
Toma
1973
7.8
Toma
as Donzer
1973
7.5
The Devil's Daughter
as Alikhine
1973
6.5
🎬
The Sandy Duncan Show
1972
0.0
The Rookies
1972
6.8
The Godfather
as Sal Tessio
1972
8.7
Cannon
1971
6.5
Love, American Style
as Mr. Burdick (uncredited)
1969
6.0
Hawaii Five-O
as Abe Kemper
1968
7.1
Mannix
as Anton Valine
1967
6.7
Dark Shadows
1966
7.2
Three Rooms in Manhattan
as Waiter (uncredited)
1965
6.0
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
7.4
The Bob Hope Show
as Self
1950
7.0
Suspense
1949
4.9
Studio One
as Old Train Passenger
1948
5.0