Oscar-Nominated Actor Robert Loggia Dies at 85 Variety
December 4, 2015
By Dave McNary
Robert Loggia, durable star of movies and TV shows including Brian De Palma’s 1986 Scarface and 1988′s Big, died Friday in Los Angeles, his widow Audrey confirmed to Variety. He was 85.
He was nominated for a Supporting Actor Academy Award for Jagged Edge in 1986 for his portrayal of a private detective.
Among the films he appeared in were An Officer and a Gentleman, Prizzi’s Honor, Problem Child, and Big, in which performed a memorable duet on a giant piano with Tom Hanks.
He was nominated for an Emmy in 1989 for his portrayal of FBI agent Nick Mancuso in the sseries Mancuso FBI and again in 2000 for his guest star role in Malcolm in the Middle.
Loggia also portrayed a violent mobster named Feech La Manna on several episodes of The Sopranos.
Loggia was a native of Staten Island, born to Italian immigrants. After serving in the U.S. Army, he began classes with Stella Adler.
“I loved Bob like a father,” Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns told Variety.
He broke into the entertainment business in 1958 as lawman Elfego Baca in a series of Walt Disney TV shows in 1958. His TV credits included The Untouchables, Columbo, Gunsmoke, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Big Valley, Rawhide, Little House on the Prairie, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, Magnum, P.I., Kojak, Hawaii Five-0, The Bionic Woman, Frasier, and Monk.
His film roles include Revenge of the Pink Panther, Over The Top, Necessary Roughness, Return to Me, and Armed and Dangerous.
Loggia is survived by his widow; three children, Tracy, John and Kristina, and a stepchild, Cynthia.
His family has asked that donations be made to the Motion Picture and Television Fund. Loggia was an active supporter of the fund.
Funeral services will be private.
Poster Comment:
I remember Robert Loggia in the TV show, T.H.E. Cat. It aired in the 1966-67 seasons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.H.E._Cat