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 Of Greek descent on both sides, the son of immigrants, Savalas was a soldier during World War II, although most of his enlistment records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973. He later studied psychology at Columbia University under the GI Bill.Iconically bald, he often played character roles, sometimes as sadists or psychotics. He became famous in the 1970s when his role as Det. Theo Kojak in the TV movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) was expanded into the gritty Kojak (1973) TV series (1973-78).
Bio:
Of Greek descent on both sides, the son of immigrants, Savalas was a soldier during World War II, although most of his enlistment records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973. He later studied psychology at Columbia University under the GI Bill.Iconically bald, he often played character roles, sometimes as sadists or psychotics. He became famous in the 1970s when his role as Det. Theo Kojak in the TV movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) was expanded into the gritty Kojak (1973) TV series (1973-78).
Tivia:
When he worked as a lifeguard, he failed to save a man from drowning, and was troubled by the memory forever after.Was originally slated to play Luke in Cool Hand Luke (1967), but the producers were unable to wait for him to complete his boat trip from Europe to the U.S. (Telly had a severe fear of flying). Therefore, Paul Newman played the role instead.Reason why he sucked on a lollipop during Kojak (1973): following Peter Cavnoudias's suggestion while filming Lisa and the Devil (1973) to help him to quit smoking.He was also a strong contributor to his Greek Orthodox roots through the Saint Sophia and Saint Nicholas cathedrals in Los Angeles, and was the sponsor of bringing electricity in the '70s to his ancestral home, Yeraka, Greece.At first, Telly was an executive director and then senior director of the news special events at ABC, Savalas then became an executive producer for the "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports," where he gave Howard Cosell his first job.After portraying Pontius Pilate in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), he chose to remain completely bald and this signature look, somewhere between the comic and the ominous, stood him in good stead in the years that followed.Resided at the Sheraton-Universal Sheraton Hotel in Universal City, California, from 1973 until his death in 1994, becoming such a fixture at the hotel bar that it was renamed Telly's.Lived with Sally Sheridan from 1969 to 1978. Her daughter from a previous relationship is Nicollette Sheridan, who considered Savalas as her father.Was friends with actor John Aniston and named godfather of Jennifer Aniston.Telly Savalas passed away on January 22, 1994, one day after his 72nd birthday, which he celebrated with his family, friends and colleagues at the Universal Sheraton Inn in Universal City, California.Left index finger was shorter than his other fingers ending right after the beginning of its second phalanx.His mother, Christina Kapsalis Savalas, was a New York City artist, and his father, Nick Savalas, a hard worker, first worked odd jobs, then as a businessman in cigarettes, restaurant supplies and general contracting before becoming a restaurateur, owning a chain of Greek restaurants.Was involved in a serious car accident in Virginia during his hitch in the army.Until his mother's death in 1988, she lived in a suite a few floors above his own at the Sheraton-Universal, with the actor paying all the expenses.Before the Depression era of 1929, his father was a millionaire.Savalas qualified for the 1992 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he finished among the top 25 players in the tournament.As he loved spending time with his family, also had many hobbies including golfing, swimming, gambling, collecting luxury cars, horse racing, motorcycle racing, watching football and reading romantic books as well as historical biographies.His ex-Kojak (1973) co-star, Kevin Dobson, had said in an interview, he was his best and dearest friend.His father, Nick Savalas, died in 1948. His mother, Christina Savalas, died in 1988, at age 84.His paternal grandfather, Kostas the Painter, lived to age 100 and became one of the area's most famous artists.Also owned a stone ranch house in Rancho Mirage, California and a luxurious four-bedroom apartment in London, England.He used off-script phrases and mottoes in Greek during filming.In 1990 the city of New York declared The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) as the official movie of New York City, and awarded Telly with the Key to the City. The film was the one that introduced Savalas' most famous character, Lt. Theo Kojak, later made famous on its spin-off series Kojak (1973).Longtime friend Danny Thomas guest-starred on the last episode of Kojak (1973).Loved gambling and was a very successful gambler, winning many Vegas poker tournaments and losing few.His final films, Mind Twister (1993) and Backfire! (1995), were dedicated to his memory.Before he was a successful actor, in the United States Army during World War II, Savalas was working for the US State Department as host of the show, 'Your Voice of America.'.Originated the phrase, "Who Loves Ya, Baby?", for Kojak (1973).Was a member of Company C, 12th Medical Training Battalion, 4th Medical Training Regiment at Camp Pickett, Virginia.Most of his enlistment records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973.Had attended an audition for the CBS anthology series Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950), intending to prompt an actor friend who was up for a role, in 1959. Instead, the casting director took Savalas's sinister demeanor into account and cast him in a character part, which led to other TV assignments and movie roles.As a singer, Savalas had some chart success. His spoken word version of Bread's "If" produced by Snuff Garrett was #1 in Europe for 10 weeks in 1975 and his sung version of Don Williams's "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend" topped the charts in 1980.He starred in 56 films, in 21 of them he was cast as a villain.Had a fear of flying. Ironically, he played a pilot in Capricorn One (1977).Was very good friends with: Julie London, Doug McClure, Dan Frazer, Diana Rigg, Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Johnny Carson, Robert Conrad, Larry Manetti, George Burns, Karl Malden, Ernest Borgnine, Irwin Allen, Robert Stack, Dinah Shore, Anthony Quinn, Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Angie Dickinson, Danny Thomas, Robert Alda, Jamie Farr, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Elliott Gould, Ricardo Montalban, Charles Bronson, Roddy McDowall, Don Rickles, Gene Barry, Michael Constantine, Rock Hudson, Shelley Winters, Gregory Peck, Dom DeLuise, Barbara Eden, Omar Sharif, David Janssen, Mickey Rooney, Beverly Garland, Mark Russell and George Savalas.Met screen actress, Angie Dickinson, in 1971, when the two appeared in the movie Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971).18 years later, Dickinson worked with Savalas on Kojak: Fatal Flaw (1989).They were lifelong friends until Savalas' passing in 1994.He didn't appear in his first film until he was 37.On Kojak (1973), he worked with George Savalas's character at the police station, in real-life, Savalas was (of course) George's second older brother.Early in his career he played mainly brutish criminals until he changed his image completely in the 1970s, when he was cast as a homicide detective in the acclaimed TV-movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) and its spin-off series, Kojak (1973).Three of his six children followed in their father's footsteps into acting.As a philanthropist and philhellene, Savalas supported many Hellenic causes and made friends in major cities around the world. In Chicago, Telly often met with Illinois State Senators Steven G. Nash and Samuel Maragos, also Greeks, as well as Greek millionaire Simeon Frangos, who owned the famous Athens North nightclub and the Flying Carpet Hotel near O'Hare Airport.Before he was a successful actor, early in his career, he directed stage plays at a theater in Connecticut.Singing ran in his family.When Savalas was hospitalized at Huntington Memorial Hospital for bladder cancer, it had already spread to his hip bones and pancreas. The treatment of choice is a procedure called a radical cystectomy, in which a surgeon removes the bladder and nearby organs that may harbor cancer cells, such as the prostate. But Savalas rejected that option.He wasn't the first choice to audition for Kojak (1973), when Marlon Brando had been offered the role.His younger brother, George Savalas, starred in Kojak (1973) and in three films - "Genghis Khan" (1965), "The Slender Thread" (1965) and "Kelly's Heroes" (1970) - with him.Has the distinction of playing two Alcatraz prison inmates; Feto Gomez in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and Cretzer in Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980).Appeared on the front cover of TV Guide 5 times.Met his last wife, Julie Hovland, on the set of Kojak (1973) in 1977. She was a travel agent from Minnesota.He had performed a voice over for a 70s nature series on Yosemite National Park. |
| Name: |
Telly Savalas |
Type: |
Actor,Director,Writer (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
|
Business scope: |
Actor,Director,Writer |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Director,Writer |
| Model rank: |
2925 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 04:42:04 |
| Height: |
5' 10' (1.78 m) |
| Biography: |
Of Greek descent on both sides, the son of immigrants, Savalas was a soldier during World War II, although most of his enlistment records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973. He later stud |
| Trivia: |
When he worked as a lifeguard, he failed to save a man from drowning, and was troubled by the memory forever after.Was originally slated to play Luke in Cool Hand Luke (1967), but the producers were unable to wait for him to complete his boat trip from Europe to the U.S. (Telly had a severe fear of flying). Therefore, Paul Newman played the role instead.Reason why he sucked on a lollipop during Kojak (1973): following Peter Cavnoudias's suggestion while filming Lisa and the Devil (1973) to help him to quit smoking.He was also a strong contributor to his Greek Orthodox roots through the Saint Sophia and Saint Nicholas cathedrals in Los Angeles, and was the sponsor of bringing electricity in the '70s to his ancestral home, Yeraka, Greece.At first, Telly was an executive director and then senior director of the news special events at ABC, Savalas then became an executive producer for the "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports," where he gave Howard Cosell his first job.After portraying Pontius Pilate in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), he chose to remain completely bald and this signature look, somewhere between the comic and the ominous, stood him in good stead in the years that followed.Resided at the Sheraton-Universal Sheraton Hotel in Universal City, California, from 1973 until his death in 1994, becoming such a fixture at the hotel bar that it was renamed Telly's.Lived with Sally Sheridan from 1969 to 1978. Her daughter from a previous relationship is Nicollette Sheridan, who considered Savalas as her father.Was friends with actor John Aniston and named godfather of Jennifer Aniston.Telly Savalas passed away on January 22, 1994, one day after his 72nd birthday, which he celebrated with his family, friends and colleagues at the Universal Sheraton Inn in Universal City, California.Left index finger was shorter than his other fingers ending right after the beginning of its second phalanx.His mother, Christina Kapsalis Savalas, was a New York City artist, and his father, Nick Savalas, a hard worker, first worked odd jobs, then as a businessman in cigarettes, restaurant supplies and general contracting before becoming a restaurateur, owning a chain of Greek restaurants.Was involved in a serious car accident in Virginia during his hitch in the army.Until his mother's death in 1988, she lived in a suite a few floors above his own at the Sheraton-Universal, with the actor paying all the expenses.Before the Depression era of 1929, his father was a millionaire.Savalas qualified for the 1992 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he finished among the top 25 players in the tournament.As he loved spending time with his family, also had many hobbies including golfing, swimming, gambling, collecting luxury cars, horse racing, motorcycle racing, watching football and reading romantic books as well as historical biographies.His ex-Kojak (1973) co-star, Kevin Dobson, had said in an interview, he was his best and dearest friend.His father, Nick Savalas, died in 1948. His mother, Christina Savalas, died in 1988, at age 84.His paternal grandfather, Kostas the Painter, lived to age 100 and became one of the area's most famous artists.Also owned a stone ranch house in Rancho Mirage, California and a luxurious four-bedroom apartment in London, England.He used off-script phrases and mottoes in Greek during filming.In 1990 the city of New York declared The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) as the official movie of New York City, and awarded Telly with the Key to the City. The film was the one that introduced Savalas' most famous character, Lt. Theo Kojak, later made famous on its spin-off series Kojak (1973).Longtime friend Danny Thomas guest-starred on the last episode of Kojak (1973).Loved gambling and was a very successful gambler, winning many Vegas poker tournaments and losing few.His final films, Mind Twister (1993) and Backfire! (1995), were dedicated to his memory.Before he was a successful actor, in the United States Army during World War II, Savalas was working for the US State Department as host of the show, 'Your Voice of America.'.Originated the phrase, "Who Loves Ya, Baby?", for Kojak (1973).Was a member of Company C, 12th Medical Training Battalion, 4th Medical Training Regiment at Camp Pickett, Virginia.Most of his enlistment records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973.Had attended an audition for the CBS anthology series Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950), intending to prompt an actor friend who was up for a role, in 1959. Instead, the casting director took Savalas's sinister demeanor into account and cast him in a character part, which led to other TV assignments and movie roles.As a singer, Savalas had some chart success. His spoken word version of Bread's "If" produced by Snuff Garrett was #1 in Europe for 10 weeks in 1975 and his sung version of Don Williams's "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend" topped the charts in 1980.He starred in 56 films, in 21 of them he was cast as a villain.Had a fear of flying. Ironically, he played a pilot in Capricorn One (1977).Was very good friends with: Julie London, Doug McClure, Dan Frazer, Diana Rigg, Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Johnny Carson, Robert Conrad, Larry Manetti, George Burns, Karl Malden, Ernest Borgnine, Irwin Allen, Robert Stack, Dinah Shore, Anthony Quinn, Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Angie Dickinson, Danny Thomas, Robert Alda, Jamie Farr, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Elliott Gould, Ricardo Montalban, Charles Bronson, Roddy McDowall, Don Rickles, Gene Barry, Michael Constantine, Rock Hudson, Shelley Winters, Gregory Peck, Dom DeLuise, Barbara Eden, Omar Sharif, David Janssen, Mickey Rooney, Beverly Garland, Mark Russell and George Savalas.Met screen actress, Angie Dickinson, in 1971, when the two appeared in the movie Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971).18 years later, Dickinson worked with Savalas on Kojak: Fatal Flaw (1989).They were lifelong friends until Savalas' passing in 1994.He didn't appear in his first film until he was 37.On Kojak (1973), he worked with George Savalas's character at the police station, in real-life, Savalas was (of course) George's second older brother.Early in his career he played mainly brutish criminals until he changed his image completely in the 1970s, when he was cast as a homicide detective in the acclaimed TV-movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) and its spin-off series, Kojak (1973).Three of his six children followed in their father's footsteps into acting.As a philanthropist and philhellene, Savalas supported many Hellenic causes and made friends in major cities around the world. In Chicago, Telly often met with Illinois State Senators Steven G. Nash and Samuel Maragos, also Greeks, as well as Greek millionaire Simeon Frangos, who owned the famous Athens North nightclub and the Flying Carpet Hotel near O'Hare Airport.Before he was a successful actor, early in his career, he directed stage plays at a theater in Connecticut.Singing ran in his family.When Savalas was hospitalized at Huntington Memorial Hospital for bladder cancer, it had already spread to his hip bones and pancreas. The treatment of choice is a procedure called a radical cystectomy, in which a surgeon removes the bladder and nearby organs that may harbor cancer cells, such as the prostate. But Savalas rejected that option.He wasn't the first choice to audition for Kojak (1973), when Marlon Brando had been offered the role.His younger brother, George Savalas, starred in Kojak (1973) and in three films - "Genghis Khan" (1965), "The Slender Thread" (1965) and "Kelly's Heroes" (1970) - with him.Has the distinction of playing two Alcatraz prison inmates; Feto Gomez in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and Cretzer in Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980).Appeared on the front cover of TV Guide 5 times.Met his last wife, Julie Hovland, on the set of Kojak (1973) in 1977. She was a travel agent from Minnesota.He had performed a voice over for a 70s nature series on Yosemite National Park. |
| Trademarks: |
The catchphrase, "Who loves ya, baby?"
Played tough or dangerous characters.
Unabashedly bald; never wore a toupee.
Frequently appeared in movies with Burt Lancaster.
His deep, resonant, gravelly voice. |
| Quotes: |
We're all born bald, baby.
<br />
<hr>
Who loves ya, baby?
<br />
<hr>
[on Clint Eastwood] Off screen Clint is articulate and intelligent, not quiet or laconic like the cowboys and GIs he plays in films.
<br />
<hr>
[When he was battling prostate cancer]: The challenge is to live long enough to raise my children.
<br />
<hr>
[on being offered the role of Kojak (1973)]: I'll do The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973), but I don't want to do a series. How can I do the one role? I mean, I have to verify my life. My life is a variety, I can't be stuck with one character. It won't sell. |
| Salaries: |
Horror Express (1974) - $22,000 |
| Job title: |
Actor,Director,Writer |
| Others works: |
Album: "Telly Savalas: Who Loves Ya, Baby?", 1976.
3/75: Had a #1 hit in the UK with an old David Gates (of "Bread") song "If". The song didn't chart in the US, however.
Made public service advertisements for Duluth, M |
| Spouse: |
Julie Hovland (December 22, 1984 - January 22, 1994) (his death, 2 children)Marilyn Gardner (July 21, 1960 - October 19, 1974) (divorced, 2 children)Katherine Savalas (May 23, 1948 - 1957) (divorced, 1 child) |
| Children: |
Candace SavalasNick SavalasAri K.S.Christina SavalasPenelope SavalasChristian Savalas |
| Relatives: |
George Savalas (Sibling) |
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