Don Calfa
| Don Calfa | |
|---|---|
Don Calfa with Living Dead co-stars Linnea Quigley and Beverly Randolph in 2007
|
|
| Born |
Donald George Calfa December 3, 1939 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 2016 (aged 76) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1968–2015 |
Donald George "Don" Calfa (December 3, 1939 – December 1, 2016) was an American film and television character actor whose credits spanned over 40 years, playing both comedic and dramatic roles. Although Calfa has appeared in many high-profile films and television series, he was perhaps best known for his role as mortician Ernie Kaltenbrunner in the 1985 cult horror-comedy The Return of the Living Dead, and the bumbling hitman in Weekend at Bernie's.
Calfa was born on December 3, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Ozone Park, Queens and later West Hempstead, Long Island. According to his official biography, Calfa was originally interested in pursuing a career in the fine arts, but diverted his interest to acting after seeing Rebel Without a Cause. He promptly dropped out of high school to join a theater workshop (later finishing his degree through night school), eventually joining both the Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild. Before transitioning to film, Calfa worked heavily in theater, appearing in many Off-Off-Broadway productions and having performed on Broadway in 1965 in Mating Dance and in 1971 in Lenny.
Calfa worked steadily in both film and television for over 40 years, and has worked alongside such high-profile actors and directors as Warren Beatty, Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Although he has worked extensively as a dramatic actor, Calfa is perhaps best recognized for his comedic performances in various cult films, including as Paulie in Weekend at Bernie's, Scarface in Foul Play, Harold Grand in Treasure of the Moon Goddess and mad scientist Ralph Willum in Chopper Chicks in Zombietown.
...
Wikipedia