In contrast to the very fit Vigoda, a dedicated handball player and jogger, Detective Fish complained about his aches, his pains, his bladder problems and hemorrhoids, always seeming on the verge of death.įans assumed he had the same ailments, he said. Vigoda was nominated for three Emmy awards for his performance as Fish. Thank God people will get to see what Abe did.”
“We all owe a great debt of gratitude to a fine character actor who created a very memorable character that will go on and on, with all the re-runs. “Abe was responsible for as much of the success of ‘Barney Miller’ as I was - easily. The “Godfather” movies led to his successful run on “Barney Miller,” which ran from 1974-82 and starred Hal Linden as the title character. “We had some great memories together and he will really be missed,” Duvall said Robert Duvall, a “Godfather” co-star, remembered Vigoda in a statement. “They kept looking at me, as if to say, ‘What family is he from?’ ” Vigoda said. Notable to him was the presence of actual New York mob family members on the set. This was my first big thing: I felt lucky and grateful I was with these people.” He kept mostly to himself,” Vigoda told CNN in 2008. “The Godfather” was his first really big job, and he remembered a car being sent for him every day of shooting and sitting near Marlon Brando during makeup. Our intent was always to bring a smile by pointing to his longevity, which was an inspiration,” said Sun Sentinel reporter Rafael Olmeda, who ran Vigoda-themed social media pages.Ī noted New York stage actor by the time Francis Ford Coppola came calling about “The Godfather,” Vigoda had not read the book and wasn’t thinking about mobster roles he was Jewish, not Italian.īut Coppola liked him as a mobster, and he won the role of Tessio in the 1972 original and returned for the 1974 sequel. “I hope he knew about our tribute, and I hope he was amused by it.
Though Vigoda achieved a good bit of fame from his 1970s “Godfather” role, his years on “Barney Miller” and the short-lived spinoff “Fish,” he arguably became best known for being alive despite reports of his premature demise. Vigoda died at the New Jersey home of his daughter, Carol. NEW YORK - Abe Vigoda, who played the decrepit Detective Phil Fish in the television sitcom “Barney Miller” and Mafia lieutenant Sal Tessio in the original “Godfather” movie, died Tuesday, according to his manager, Sid Craig.
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