Abe Vigoda Dead at Age 94: ‘The Godfather’ Star Remembered For Impressive Acting Career

Abe Vigoda Dead at Age 94: The Godfather Star Remembered For Impressive Acting Career

Abe Vigoda, who starred in The Godfather and The Godfather II, died in his sleep on January 26. Vigor was staying with his daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, in Woodland Park, New Jersey. Fuchs told The Associated Press that Abe Vigoda died of old age. She said, “This man was never sick.”

TMZ reports that Abe Vigoda was the victim of many death hoaxes on the internet over the years, but this time it is not a hoax. Aside from starring in the Godfather movies as Tessio, Vigoda is remembered for his role as Detective Phil Fish on the 80’s show Barney Miller.

Abe Vigoda started his acting career in 1949 on a mystery-thriller TV series called Suspense and continued his career all the way through 2014. To say he had a fulfilling life of acting would be an understatement. One of Abe Vigoda’s famous quotes is found in Louis Zorich’s ‘What Have You Done?: The Inside Stories of Auditioning—from the Ridiculous to the Sublime’ and it’s a good one:

“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?””

He of course nailed the audition and won the part on Barney Miller. How could they have turned him down after that, right?

Abe Vigoda was married to Beatrice Schy from 1968 to 1992. They had just one child together, Carol Vigoda Fuchs. R.I.P. Abe Vigoda 1921 – 2016.