Actor Abe Vigoda of Godfatheer fame passes away at 94

[Commander Wallace]

Abe Vigoda, who played the part of Salvatore Tessio in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of the Mario Puzo novel “The Godfather.” The original and sequel in 1974 has passed away. Abe was 94.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/arts/television/abe-vigoda-actor-of-godfather-fame-dies-at-94.html?_r=0


Abe also played the part of detective Fish in the TV series " Barney Miller "

In 1982, People magazine reported that Abe Vigoda had passed away.

Quote : Mr. Vigoda responded by placing an ad in Variety with a photo showing him sitting up in a coffin and holding a copy of the offending issue of the magazine. His “death” became a running joke. “I have nothing to say about Abe,” Billy Crystal said at a roast of Rob Reiner at the Friars Club, where Mr. Vigoda was a regular. “I was always taught to speak well of the dead.”



David Letterman and Conan O’Brien invited him onto their late-night shows to prove he was still alive. A website, abevigoda.com (http://www.abevigoda.com/), continued to give updates on his status.

Quote "


Abe Vigoda always played a good part with his dead pan delivery and made the movies he was in more memorable .



Rest in Peace Abe

[Sailor Steve]

I can't believe he was that young. Back in the '70s I thought he was ancient.

I also liked him as the Chief of the Waponi tribe in Joe Versus The Volcano.

[Rhodes]

Chocked to see he was alive :huh: ! I wish that I could get to that age, but do not think so!

R.I.P

[Jimbuna]

RIP Abe.

[Torplexed]

I can't believe he was that young. Back in the '70s I thought he was ancient.

Me too. Sunken eyes, walked with a slouch and most of the jokes on Barney Miller seem to revolve around his character's incessant trips to the bathroom.

Then he fools us all by living another forty years. That's good acting. :D

[Aktungbby]

He gained further fame playing Detective Sgt. Phil Fish (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Fish_(character)) on Barney Miller (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Miller), a character known for his world-weary demeanor and persistent hemorrhoids (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemorrhoid). Vigoda landed the role after an unusual audition in which he unwittingly displayed his perfection for the role. his character was so popular he got his own spin off show; Fish.
While living in Los Angeles, I'd jog three to five miles a day. One morning jogging, my agent calls about a new series called Barney Miller, saying, "Go there at once."
Well, I was tired and exhausted ... I must have run five miles that morning. I said. "I have to go home and take a shower."
"No, no, no. Go right now to Studio City, you're very right for it, they know you from The Godfather, they want to see you."
"With my shorts?"
"Go"
Danny Arnold and Ted Flicker, the producers, look at me, I look at them, they look at me again. "You look tired."
"Of course I'm tired, I jogged five miles this morning, I'm exhausted."
"Yeah, yeah, tell me, you look like you have hemorrhoids."
"What are you, a doctor or a producer?"
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Abe_Vigoda_Fish_Barney_Miller_1977.JPG/220px-Abe_Vigoda_Fish_Barney_Miller_1977.JPG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abe_Vigoda_Fish_Barney_Miller_1977.JPG)Man! month one of 2016; it's already a bad year....

[HunterICX]

Guess the afterlife made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

R.I.P Abe Vigoda.

[vienna]

Abe Vigoda was one of the true comedy anchors of the Barney Miller sitcom, along with Jack Soo. He didn't have to manically flail about or hysterically deliver his lines. A few words, his deadpan delivery, and his poker face were all he needed to make an audience laugh. The truly great comics were those who could achieve a high degree of humor with seemingly little effort, and Abe was one of those, up there with George Burns, Jack Benny and others. He may not have been as famous as the others, but he was of their caliber and always added a bit more "seasoning" to any project in which he was involved. He was everyone's 'grandpa' or grumpy, old 'uncle' and was endearing. Ninety-four is years a good, long run and he made the best of the time he was here; I think I'd prefer not to think of him as passed away; rather he's just quietly stood up, tucked a newspaper under his arm and stepped into the other room...

Here is Abe and Jack Soo doing what they did best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-_rEqBaEE8

RIP, Abe and thanks...


<O>

[Platapus]

I have had several Law Enforcement friends tell me that Barney Miller was the most realistic cop show on TV.