Frank Campanella

Frank Campanella
Born (1919-03-19)March 19, 1919
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died December 30, 2006(2006-12-30) (aged 87)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality American
Alma mater Manhattan College
Occupation Actor
Years active 1949–2006
Relatives Joseph Campanella (brother)

Frank Campanella (March 12, 1919 – December 30, 2006) was an American character actor.

Early life and career

Campanella was born in New York City, the son of Sicilian immigrants Mary O. and Philip Campanella, a musician.[1] He was the older brother of actor Joseph Campanella and spoke mostly Italian growing up; this proved useful during World War II, when he worked as a civilian translator for the U.S. government. Campanella graduated Manhattan College in 1940,[2] where he studied drama.[3]

Campanella's first film role was as "Mook the Moon-Man" in the 1949 science fiction series Captain Video and His Video Rangers.[4] He went on to appear in more than 100 film and television episodes, usually playing the "tough guy." Campanella appeared as a bartender in Mel Brooks' The Producers (1968), starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. He helped Robert De Niro learn Sicilian for his role as young Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part II (1974).

Campanella's early television roles included three appearances as different police lieutenants on the syndicated crime drama, Decoy, starring Beverly Garland as the first female police lead in a television series. In one of the Decoy episodes, he appeared with his brother, Joseph Campanella. Over his career he appeared, often in police roles, in such well-known series as Ironside, Mannix, The Rockford Files, Quincy, M.E., Chico and the Man, All in the Family, Maude, Rhoda, and The Love Boat.

Death

Campanella died on December 30, 2006 at his home in Los Angeles, California.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Joseph Campanella Biography (1927-)". filmreference.com. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Sunday 07 January 2007". jasperjottings.com. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Frank Campanella, Character Actor, 87, Dies". nytimes.com. January 6, 2007. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Frank Campanella". Rome News-Tribune. January 5, 2007. p. 6A. Retrieved September 28, 2014.

External links


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