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Telly Savalas

Acting

Born January 21, 1922 · Garden City, Long Island, New York, USA

Died January 22, 1994

Also known as Telly Aristoteles Savalas · Telli Savales · Telly Savales

Biography

Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an American film and television actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). His other movie credits include The Young Savages (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Battle of the Bulge (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Scalphunters (1968), supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971), Inside Out (1975) and Escape to Athena (1979).

Awards & recognition

  • Golden Globe AwardBest Actor – Television Series Drama · 1976
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Actor – Television Series Drama · 1975
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series · 1974
  • Ellis Island Medal of Honor
  • star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Show all 6 awards →
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actor · 1963 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

The Twilight Zone

1959as Erich Streator

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

1962as Philadelphia Harry

Combat!

as Jon

The Carol Burnett Show

1967as Self - Guest / Various Characters

The Dirty Dozen

1967as Archer Maggott

Cape Fear

1962as Private Detective Charles Sievers

Birdman of Alcatraz

1962as Feto Gomez

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962as Self

Bonanza

1959as Charles Augustus Hackett

Kelly's Heroes

1970as Master Sergeant "Big Joe"

The Red Skelton Show

1951as Self / Tex

The Fugitive

1963as Steve Keller

The Muppet Movie

1979as El Sleazo Tough

Kojak

1973as Theo Kojak

The Commish

1991as Tommy Colette

Alice

1976

The Slender Thread

1965as Dr. Joe Coburn

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

1964as Count Valeriano De Fanzini

Django & Django

2021as Self - Actor (archive footage)

Fanfare for a Death Scene

1964as Ilchidai Khan

Battle of the Bulge

1965as Sgt. Guffy

Tales of the Unexpected

1979as Joe Brisson

Capricorn One

1978as Albain

Inside Out

1975as Harry Morgan

Crime Boss

1972as Don Vincenzo

The Assassination Bureau

1969as Lord Bostwick

Mackenna's Gold

1969as Sergeant Tibbs

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

1969as Ernst Stavro Blofeld

The Virginian

1962as 'Colonel' Bliss

The Young Savages

1961as Detective Lt. Gunderson

The Scalphunters

1968as Jim Howie

The Greatest Story Ever Told

1965as Pontius Pilate

The Love Boat

1977as Dr. Fabian Cain

A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die

1972as Major Ward

Horror Express

1972as Captain Kazan

Lisa and the Devil

1973as Leandro

Violent City

1970as Al Weber

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell

1968as Walter Braddock

Sonny and Jed

1972as Sheriff Franciscus

Pretty Maids All in a Row

1971as Captain Sam Surcher

Genghis Khan

1965as Shan

Escape to Athena

1979as Zeno

Cimarron Strip

1967

Naked City

1958as Gabriel Hody

Land Raiders

1969as Vince Carden

The F.B.I.

1965as Ed Clementi

Cannonball Run II

1984as Hymie

Killer Force

1976as Webb

Johnny Cool

1963as Vincenzo 'Vince' Santangelo

The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission

1988as Maj. Wright