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In Remembrance: Vincent Schiavelli
Born November 10, 1948 in Brooklyn, New York, Schiavelli studied acting at New York University’ s Theatre Program in 1969 and 1970. Schiavelli’s first film appearance was in the 1971 comedy-drama Taking Off, directed by Milos Forman. The director took a liking to the actor and would cast him in his next significant film role, 1975’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Forman would also cast Schiavelli in his films Amadeus (1984), Valmont (1989), The People Vs. Larry Flynt (1996) and Man On The Moon (1999). Schiavelli’s film career blossomed in the 1980s, with the actor’s distinctive features appearing in over a dozen films. For 1982’s classic teen comedy Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Schiavelli turned in a memorable performance as high school science teacher Mr. Vargas, who was prone to taking his classes on inappropriate field trips to the morgue. He would return to role in 1986 for the short lived television series based on the film. Other comedies he appeared in include Night Shift (1982) and Better Off Dead (1985). Schiavelli also excelled in dramatic roles, such as spirit who shows a recently deceased Patrick Swayze how to affect the world of the living in 1990’s Ghost. Schiavelli also appeared in such films as The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai: Across The 8th Dimension (1984), Another You (1991), Batman Returns (1992), Lord Of Illusions (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Schiavelli also made guest appearances on dozens of television series including WKRP In Cincinnati, Taxi, Night Court, Moonlighting, Remington Steele, Miami Vice, The X-Files and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. In 1997, Schiavelli was named by Vanity Fair magazine as one of America’s best character actors. In addition to acting, Schiavelli was also known for his love of cooking, having authored three cook books and numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Schiavelli’s grandfather served as a cook for an Italian baron before immigrating to the United States. Schiavelli’s final film was the 2005 Italian film Miracolo a Palermo!. |
Vincent Schiavelli, the
droopy-eyed character actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1970s
onward, has passed away on December 26, 2005 in Polizzi Generosa,
Sicily. He was 57.