Children 6 Name George Savalas | Years active 1962-1985 Role Actor Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Spouse Robin Savalas (m. ?–1985) | |
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Died October 2, 1985, Westwood, California, United States Nieces Ariana Savalas, Candace Savalas, Penelope Savalas, Christina Savalas Movies and TV shows Kojak, Kelly's Heroes, Final Shot, Fake‑Out, Alice in Wonderland Similar People Telly Savalas, Dan Frazer, Kevin Dobson, Abby Mann, Christina Savalas | ||
Butch mccain interviews george savalas
Georgios Demosthenes "George" Savalas (Greek: Γεώργιος Δημοσθένης Σαβάλας) (December 5, 1924 – October 2, 1985) was a Greek-American actor. He was the younger brother of actor Telly Savalas, with whom he acted in the popular 1970s TV crime series Kojak.
Contents
- Butch mccain interviews george savalas
- George savalas greek song
- Early life
- Career
- Personal life
- Filmography
- References
George savalas greek song
Early life
Born in The Bronx, New York City, New York, to immigrants from Greece, he was one of five children: brothers Telly, Gus and Ted; and sister Katherine. He attended Holy Cross Institute in Connecticut and Mineola High School in Garden City Park, New York (on Long Island). He served in the Pacific War as a United States Navy gunner but also acted, produced and directed stage performances on military bases. He studied drama at Columbia University.
Career
Starting out, Savalas worked many jobs, including driving a taxi and waiting tables. Although known primarily as a TV actor, Savalas was originally a stage actor and acting instructor. He taught at the Coliseum Studios for five years. He appeared in off-Broadway productions such as Death of a Salesman and Arms and Man while working with his father in two businesses: a hotel and a heating and air-conditioning company.
He is best known for his role as Sergeant Stavros on the TV series Kojak, which starred his more famous brother Telly. For the first two seasons, Savalas was credited as "Demosthenes" on screen so as not to create confusion between himself and his brother, although both men were easily distinguishable by sight (George having a full head of hair while Telly shaved his head). He also was a production assistant for the show, where he received a proper credit. Beginning in season three, Savalas was properly credited in the actors' credits as well and was regarded as one of the show's main actors along with his brother, Dan Frazer, and Kevin Dobson for the rest of the series.
He appeared in several films such as Kelly's Heroes, The Greatest Story Ever Told and Genghis Khan (1965) — all of which also featured his brother Telly. In the mid-1970s, he appeared in adverts in the United Kingdom for the Wimpy Bar chain.
In his later years, George recorded a popular Greek-language record and toured with his band, appearing at such venues as Carnegie Hall. He returned to the stage, appearing in a number of off-Broadway productions before illness forced him to retire.
Personal life
He and his wife Robin had six children: Nicholas George, Leonidas George, Constantine George, Gregory George, Matthew George and Militza. Later in life he and Robin resided in Reseda, California. For many, many years, he continued to drive his 1936 Chevrolet automobile. His interests included golf, coin and clock collecting, radio-controlled model airplanes and cooking.
He died of leukemia, aged 60 (but reported as 58), in Los Angeles.