Abe Vigoda died on Tuesday. He was 94.
The actor, best known for his role as Sal Tessio in “The Godfather” films and Phil Fish in “Barney Miller,” died of old age while in hospice care at his New Jersey home, his daughter Carol Vigoda Fuchs said in a statement.
“This man was never sick,” Fuchs said.
(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Though his career spanned decades, “Barney Miller” was Vigoda’s first steady acting job. (RELATED: B.B. King, The ‘King Of Blues,’ Dies At 89)
“When I was a young man, I was told success had to come in my youth,” Vigoda once said during an interview. “I found this to be a myth. My experiences have taught me that if you deeply believe in what you are doing, success can come at any age.”
“I’m the same Abe Vigoda,” he added.
“I have the same friends, but the difference now is that I can buy the things I never could afford before. I have never had a house before, so now I would like a house with a nice garden and a pool. Hollywood has been very kind to me.”
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