George Savalas
| George Savalas | |
|---|---|
George Savalas
|
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| Born |
December 5, 1924 The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 1985 (aged 60) Westwood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Leukemia |
| Nationality | American, Greek |
| Years active | 1962–1985 |
| Notable work | Kelly's Heroes, Kojak, Alice In Wonderland, Genghis Khan |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Spouse(s) | Robin Savalas (?-1985) (his death) (6 children) |
| Children | 6 |
Georgios Demosthenes "George" Savalas (Greek: Γεώργιος Δημοσθένης Σαβάλας) (December 5, 1924 – October 2, 1985) was a Greek-American actor. He was the younger brother of actor Telly Savalas, with whom he acted in the popular 1970s TV crime series Kojak.
Born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, to immigrants from Greece, he was one of five children: brothers Telly, Gus and Ted; and sister Katherine. He attended Holy Cross Institute in Connecticut and Mineola High School in Garden City Park, New York (on Long Island). He served in the Pacific War as a United States Navy gunner but also acted, produced and directed stage performances on military bases. He studied drama at Columbia University.
Starting out, Savalas worked many jobs, including driving a taxi and waiting tables. Although known primarily as a TV actor, Savalas was originally a stage actor and acting instructor. He taught at the Coliseum Studios for five years. He appeared in off-Broadway productions such as Death of a Salesman and Arms and Man while working with his father in two businesses: a hotel and a heating and air-conditioning company.
He is best known for his role as Sergeant Stavros on the TV series Kojak, which starred his more famous brother Telly. For the first two seasons, Savalas was credited as "Demosthenes" on screen so as not to create confusion between himself and his brother, although both men were easily distinguishable by sight (George having a full head of hair while Telly shaved his head). He also was a production assistant for the show, where he received a proper credit. Beginning in season three, Savalas was properly credited in the actors' credits as well and was regarded as one of the show's main actors along with his brother, Dan Frazer, and Kevin Dobson for the rest of the series.
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