Joseph Bologna

Joseph Bologna
Bologna and his wife Renée Taylor in 1974.
Born	(1934-12-30) December 30, 1934 (age 82) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–present
Spouse(s)	Renée Taylor (m. 1965)
Children	1

Joseph Bologna (born December 30, 1934) is an American actor. He is notable for roles in the comedy films My Favorite Year and Transylvania 6-5000.

Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. Bologna served a tour of duty with United States Marine Corps. Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.

Bologna has a long history in film and television. His breakthrough film, Lovers and Other Strangers, written with his wife Renée Taylor, was based on the true-life circumstances of organizing a wedding on short notice with the involvement of his Italian extended family and Renée's Jewish clan. Several relatives performed as extras in the final cut. A year later, in 1971, the couple again collaborated to write and perform in the movie Made for Each Other.

Bologna stayed close with his old-neighborhood aunts and uncles after becoming successful. Two of them were slightly famous on their own: his Uncle Pat was "Blacky the Bootblack", whom Joseph Kennedy credited as his main influence when he sold all of his stock holdings in the summer of 1929 (the market crashed in October), and his aunt Pauline was one of the best-known chefs to the stars, working for Jackie Gleason, Burt Reynolds and many other luminaries.

Bologna's aunt Pauline chastised him for starring in the nudity-contained Blame it on Rio co-starring Michael Caine. Bologna replied, "Blame it on me, it's the last time I invite Aunt Pauline to a film premiere." In 1976 he starred in the television drama What Now, Catherine Curtis? with Lucille Ball. Other film roles for Bologna include the 1982 comedy hit My Favorite Year, starring Peter O'Toole, and as Lenny Koufax, the frustrated father of Sonny Koufax (Adam Sandler) in the 1999 comedy Big Daddy.