Abe Vigoda
Biography
Abraham Charles Vigoda, known as Abe Vigoda, was born on February 24, 1921, and died on January 26, 2016. He was a tall, dour-faced, and slouch-shouldered character actor who proved himself in both gritty dramatic roles and as an actor with wonderful comedic timing. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian Jewish immigrants Lena and Samuel Vigoda, his father worked as a tailor on the Lower East Side. Vigoda made his first stage appearance at the age of seventeen and spent over twenty years performing in small theater shows. He came to prominence for film-goers as the double-crossing Tessio in The Godfather in 1972, pleading with Robert Duvall to get him off the hook for old times' sake, and he also appeared in its sequel.
Career overview
Abraham Charles Vigoda was born on February 24, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian Jewish immigrants Lena and Samuel Vigoda. Described as a tall, dour-faced, and slouch-shouldered character actor, he proved himself in both gritty dramatic roles and as a performer with wonderful comedic timing. His father worked as a tailor on the Lower East Side. Vigoda made his first stage appearance at the age of seventeen and spent over twenty years working in small theater shows before achieving widespread recognition.
For the majority of film-goers, Vigoda first came to prominence in the 1972 film The Godfather, in which he played the double-crossing Tessio and pleaded with Robert Duvall to get him off the hook for old times' sake. He also appeared in the sequel, The Godfather Part II. In addition to his film work, Vigoda is known for his television portrayals of Phil Fish in the series Barney Miller and Fish.
Throughout his career, Vigoda accumulated numerous acting credits in film and television. He passed away on January 26, 2016, at the age of ninety-four.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
110 titles- The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959 (2016) as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)
- Cutaways (2013)
- The Unknown Trilogy (2008) as Uncle Morty (segment "Frankie the Squirrel")
- Farce of the Penguins (2006) as Penguin from Boca (voice)
- TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV (2003)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special (2003) as Self
- Crime Spree (2003) as Angelo Giancarlo
- Deadline (2000) as Joseph Spiaggio
- Chump Change (2000) as The Frog
- Tea Cakes or Cannoli (2000)
- Family Guy (1999) as Abe Vigoda (voice)
- The Norm Show (1999)
- Witness to the Mob (1998) as Paul Castellano
- Just the Ticket (1998) as Arty
- A Brooklyn State of Mind (1998) as Uncle Guy
- Good Burger (1997) as Otis
- Farticus (1997) as Zeus
- Promised Land (1996)
- Underworld (1996) as Will Cassady
- Love Is All There Is (1996) as Rudy
- A Christmas Journey Home (1996) as Grandpa
- Jury Duty (1995) as Judge Powell
- The Misery Brothers (1995) as Don Frito Layleone
- Touched by an Angel (1994) as Receptionist Angel
- Weird Science (1994)
- North (1994) as Alaskan Grandpa
- Home of Angels (1994)
- Sugar Hill (1994) as Gus Molino
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self (uncredited)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self - Guest
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self
- Diagnosis: Murder (1993) as Alfredo Bartolo / Al Bartell / Mr. Johnson
- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) as Salvatore Valestra (voice)
- Fist of Honor (1993) as Victor Malucci
- Me and the Kid (1993) as Pawn Broker
- Mad About You (1992) as Kalman Wertzel
- The Adventures of the Black Stallion (1992)
- Lucky Luke (1992) as Judge Rinehart
- The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992) as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
- Law & Order (1990) as Detective Landis
- Wings (1990) as Harry
- Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) as Chief of the Waponis
- Night of 100 Stars III (1990) as Self
- Keaton's Cop (1990) as Louis Keaton
- B.L. Stryker (1989) as Clayton Baskin
- Look Who's Talking (1989) as Grandpa
- Prancer (1989) as Orel Benton
- Monsters (1988) as Dolan
- Superboy (1988)
- Plain Clothes (1988) as Mr. Wiseman
- Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter (1986) as Abe
- MacGyver (1985) as Bill Cody
- The Stuff (1985) as Stuff Commercial Spokesman
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as George
- Tales from the Darkside (1984) as Jake Corelli
- Cannonball Run II (1984) as Caesar
- Harper Valley (1981)
- The Big Stuffed Dog (1981) as Carnival Pitchman
- Gridlock (1980) as Herb
- The Littlest Hobo (1979)
- B. J. and the Bear (1979)
- Supertrain (1979) as Ray Yellburton
- $weepstake$ (1979) as Anthony
- Death Car on the Freeway (1979) as Mr. Frisch
- Vega$ (1978)
- The Cheap Detective (1978) as Sergeant Rizzuto
- How to Pick Up Girls! (1978) as Nathan Perlmutter
- The Comedy Company (1978) as Jake
- The Love Boat (1977) as Charlie Fletcher
- Eight Is Enough (1977)
- Fish (1977) as Phil Fish
- Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television (1977) as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)
- The Bionic Woman (1976)
- The Captain and Tennille (1976) as Self - Guest
- Joys (1976) as Self
- Having Babies (1976) as Al Schneider
- Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals of 1926 (1976) as Self
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self (uncredited)
- Barney Miller (1975) as Philip Fish
- Barney Miller (1975) as Det. Phil Fish (uncredited)
- Barney Miller (1975) as Det. Phil Fish
- The Rockford Files (1974) as Al Dancer
- The Rockford Files (1974) as Phil 'The Dancer' Gabriel
- The Godfather Part II (1974) as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- Tattletales (1974)
- Tony Orlando and Dawn (1974) as Self
- Newman's Law (1974) as John Dellanzia
- The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd (1974) as Dominic Morrell
- Kojak (1973) as Kilty
- Toma (1973)
- The Don Is Dead (1973) as Don Talusso
- The Devil's Daughter (1973) as Alikhine
- Toma (1973) as Donzer
- The Godfather (1972) as Sal Tessio
- The Rookies (1972)
- The Sandy Duncan Show (1972)
- Cannon (1971) as Mr. Couzellous
- Love, American Style (1969) as Mr. Burdick (uncredited)
- Hawaii Five-O (1968) as Abe Kemper
- Mannix (1967) as Anton Valine
- Dark Shadows (1966)
- Three Rooms in Manhattan (1965) as Waiter (uncredited)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- The Bob Hope Show (1950) as Self
- Buck Rogers (1950)
- Suspense (1949)
- Studio One (1948) as Old Train Passenger
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Abe Vigoda best known for?
Abe Vigoda is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Gigantosaurus (2019), Family Guy (1999), The Norm Show (1999), Good Burger (1997).
When and where was Abe Vigoda born?
Abe Vigoda was born on February 24, 1921 in New York City, New York, USA. They passed away on January 26, 2016.
How many credits does Abe Vigoda have?
Abe Vigoda has accumulated over 110 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1948 to 2016.
What is Abe Vigoda's background in cinema and television?
Abraham Charles Vigoda, known as Abe Vigoda, was born on February 24, 1921, and died on January 26, 2016. He was a tall, dour-faced, and slouch-shouldered character actor who proved himself in both gritty dramatic roles and as an actor with wonderful comedic timing. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian Jewish immigra...
Abe Vigoda by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- The Godfather (1972) as Sal Tessio — aged about 51
- Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television (1977) as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited) — aged about 56
- The Godfather Part II (1974) as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio — aged about 53
- MacGyver (1985) as Bill Cody — aged about 64
- The Rockford Files (1974) as Al Dancer — aged about 53
- The Rockford Files (1974) as Phil 'The Dancer' Gabriel — aged about 53
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