Vincent Schiavelli

Renowned character actor Vincent Schiavelli was born on this day in 1948, appearing in 149 films before his death from lung cancer in 2005. Schiavelli, a native of Brooklyn, New York, studied acting at NYU before embarking on his impressive career in theater, film and television. Throughout his career Schiavelli would often appear in four to five movies per year—his 6’6” stature and distinctive face affording him a niche playing intimidating and often disturbing characters. Some of the actor’s most notable projects include Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The People vs. Larry Flynt, Amy Heckerling’s Fast Times At Ridgemont High and, more recently, Mario Van Peebles’ Baadasssss!

Filmstar Factoid: In addition to his acting career, Schiavelli was the award-winning author of three Sicillian cookbooks.