He was a regular on the short-lived NBC series Acapulco (1961) with Ralph Taeger and James Coburn.
Savalas quickly became in much demand as a guest star on TV shows, appearing in Sunday Showcase, Diagnosis: Unknown, Dow Hour of Great Mysteries (an adaptation of The Cat and the Canary), Naked City (alongside Claude Rains), The Witness (playing Lucky Luciano in one episode and Al Capone in another), The United States Steel Hour, and The Aquanauts. He was also in a version of The Iceman Cometh. He appeared on two more episodes of the series in 19, one, acting alongside a young Sydney Pollack. He did but as the friend in question could not go, Savalas himself went to cover for his friend and ended up being cast on "And Bring Home a Baby", an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre in January 1958. Savalas did not consider acting as a career until asked if he could recommend an actor who could do a European accent. Before his acting career took off, Savalas directed Scott Vincent and Howard Cosell in Report to New York, WABC-TV's first regularly-scheduled news program in fall 1959. He then became an executive producer for the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports, where he gave Howard Cosell his first job in television. Savalas began as an executive director and then as senior director of the news special events at ABC. In 1950, Savalas hosted a radio show called "The Coffeehouse in New York City". State Department as host of the Your Voice of America series, then at ABC News. Early career Īfter the war, he worked for the U.S. He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Columbia's School of General Studies in 1946 and started working on a master's degree while preparing for medical school. He then attended the Armed Forces Institute where he studied radio and television production. Savalas spent more than a year recuperating in hospital with a broken pelvis, sprained ankle and concussion. In 1943, he was discharged from the Army with the rank of corporal after being severely injured in a car accident. From 1941 to 1943, Savalas served in Company C, 12th Medical Training Battalion, 4th Medical Training Regiment at Camp Pickett, Virginia. In 1941, Savalas was drafted into the United States Army. This affected Savalas so much that he spent the rest of his life constantly promoting water safety, and later made all six of his children take swimming lessons. However, on one occasion, he was unsuccessful in saving a father from drowning as he attempted resuscitation, the man's two children stood nearby crying for their father to wake up. A renowned swimmer, he worked as a beach lifeguard after graduation from high school. Savalas graduated from Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, New York in 1940. He won a spelling bee there in 1934 due to an oversight, he did not receive his prize until 1991, when the school principal and Boston Herald awarded it to him. He attended Cobbett Junior High School in Lynn, Massachusetts. Savalas initially spoke only Greek when he entered grade school, but later learned English. Savalas and his brother, Gus, sold newspapers and polished shoes to help support the family. His paternal grandparents came from the Greek village of Ierakas. Īristotelis Savalas was born in Garden City, New York, on January 21, 1922, the second of five children born to ethnic Greek parents Christina (née Kapsalis 1904–1988), an artist who was a native of Sparta, and Nick Savalas ( c. The song also peaked at number 12 in Australia. For Birdman of Alcatraz, he was nominated for the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.Īs a singer, Savalas released a cover of the Bread song " If", which became a UK No. Savalas' other roles include Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Battle of the Bulge (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Horror Express (1972), Lisa and the Devil (1974) and Escape to Athena (1979). Theo Kojak on the crime drama series Kojak (1973–1978) and James Bond archvillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). Noted for his bald head and deep, resonant voice, he is perhaps best known for portraying Lt.
European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign MedalĪristotelis Savalas (Janu– January 22, 1994), known professionally as Telly Savalas, was an American actor and singer whose career spanned four decades.