Abe Vigoda, famed character actor, has passed away at age 94. Mr. Vigoda had taken on a legendary status on the Internet, after false rumors of his demise had spread quickly on the then newly accessible information superhighway. He had made his name years before, however, taking on legendary roles in The Godfather and Barney Miller.
Mr. Vigoda got his start on Broadway, starring in numerous plays throughout the 1960’s. It was his breakout performance as Sal Tessio in The Godfather that put him on the map. He gained even greater fame in the show Barney Miller, in which he played the ever grumpy, one foot in the grave detective Phil Fish. It was undoubtedly Mr. Vigoda’s strong performance as an aging detective who possibly should have retired decades prior that led to the false reports of his death that would eventually surface. Abe had a marvelous sense of humor about the situation and often appeared on late night programs, allegedly to remind the world that he was still alive.
Mr. Vigoda stayed quite active up until the end, dying peacefully in his sleep. Many people had assumed he was immortal, certain to outlive us all. It was his larger than life persona that made us wish that were true. Mr. Vigoda will certainly be missed.
