Sad news to report tonight as great character actor Robert Loggia has passed away at 85. The always gruff and gravelly voiced actor has been a staple in Hollywood for almost 65 years. Loggia’s family have confirmed that he passed away today in Los Angeles.
Loggia appeared in over 230 films and television shows since he burst onto the scene in 1951 on the TV series Search for Tomorrow. Since then, his career has run the gamut of productions from small to blockbuster films and television shows. The high point of his career was receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1986 film, Jagged Edge.
Born in Staten Island, New York in 1930, Loggia attended the University of Missouri and served in the US Army before embarking on his career in entertainment. First working as a radio and TV anchor in the Panama Canal zone.
His career began in television and over the years had many guest appearances, including Overland Trail, The Untouchables, Combat!, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Rawhide, Little House on the Prairie, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Rockford Files. In later years he also appeared on shows including Frasier, The Sopranos, and Monk to name only a handful.
His film roles were varied over the years including supporting roles in Scarface with Al Pacino, An Officer and a Gentleman, Prizzi’s Honor, Big, Hot Pursuit, and so many more wonderful films. His gruff exterior and voice made him the perfect casting choice for mobster roles.
What I will always remember Loggia for was his genre roles including films such as The Believers, Relentless, Innocent Blood, Psycho II, Independence Day, Lost Highway and more recently in The Boneyard Collection, Sicilian Vampire, Bleeding Hearts, Scavenger Killers and too many more to count.
Loggia was married to Marjorie Sloan from 1954 to 1981. He is survived by his wife Audrey O’Brien, who he married in 1982, as well as three children and one stepdaughter.
From all of us here at Horror Soceity, we would like to offer our sincerest condolences to Robert Loggia’s family, friends, and fans. His was a career that will never be equaled and we thank him for his countless memories that will live forever in his film and TV roles.
May you rest in peace kind sir!
Robert Loggia 1930 – 2015
