Telly Savalas Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 10 in |
Weight | 85 kg |
Date of Birth | January 21, 1922 |
Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
Date of Death | January 22, 1994 |
Telly Savalas was an American actor, voice artist, singer, musician, director, and writer who is best known for appearing as Lt. Theo Kojak in the crime drama series Kojak (1973-1978) and as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
Born Name
Aristotelis Savalas
Nick Name
Golden Greek
Age
He was born on January 21, 1922.
Died
On January 22, 1994, Telly Savalas died of complications of prostate and bladder cancer at the age of 72 at the Sheraton-Universal Hotel in Universal City, California, United States.
Resting Place
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, California, United States
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
Garden City, Long Island, Nassau County, New York, United States
Nationality
Education
Telly Savalas studied at Cobbett Junior High School in Lynn, Massachusetts. He then got enrolled at Sewanhaka High School and graduated in 1940.
He also attended the Armed Forces Institute and studied radio and television production. In 1946, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Columbia University‘s School of General Studies.
Occupation
Actor, Voice Artist, Singer, Musician, Director, Writer
Family
- Father – Nick Savalas (Restaurant Owner)
- Mother – Christina (née Kapsalis) (Artist) (Died in 1988)
- Siblings – Gus (Brother). Telly had 3 more siblings.
- Others – Costantine/Constantinos Tsavalas (Paternal Grandfather), Katerina/Catherine Papageorgiou/Popugruge (Paternal Grandmother), Kestar Kapsalis (Maternal Grandfather), Gioncule Koivelier (Maternal Grandmother)
Genre
Soundtrack
Instruments
Vocals
Net Worth
According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, his net worth was $5 Million.
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 10 in or 178 cm
Weight
85 kg or 187.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Telly Savalas had dated –
- Jeanne Carmen
- Katherine Nicolaides (1948-1957)​ – He married Katherine Nicolaides in 1948 and their daughter Christina was born in 1950. Katherine filed for divorce in 1957.
- Marilyn Gardner (1960-1974) – In 1960, Telly Savalas married theatre teacher Marilyn Gardner. They had 2 daughters – Penelope (b. 1961) and Candace (b. 1963). The couple divorced in 1974.
- Sally Sheridan (1969-1977) – They had a son named Nicholas Savalas (b. February 24, 1973).
- Morgan Fairchild (1976-1977)
- Julie Hovland – Telly Savalas met Julie Hovland during the last season of Kojak in 1977 and they married in 1984. They had 2 children – son Christian (b. 1985) and daughter Ariana Savalas. Julie and Savalas remained together until his death in 1994.
Race / Ethnicity
White
Savalas was of Greek descent.
Hair Color
Dark Brown (Natural)
He later shaved his head to turn bald.
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Baldhead
- His catchphrase, “Who loves ya, baby?”
- A deep, resonant, gravelly voice
Brand Endorsements
Telly Savalas was cast in TV commercials for –
- Players Club International (1980s)
- Master Blend Coffee (Japan) (1980)
- Grumann Corp. (1981)
- Ford Motor Company (the United States) (1982)
- Biancosarti drink (1990)
He also did print ads for –
- Gillette Twinjector Shaver and Blades (1976-1977)
- Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey (1978)
- Bacardi Rum (the United Kingdom) (1984-1985)
Telly Savalas Favorite Things
- One Of His Favorite Roles – Playing Walter Braddock in Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968)
Source – Wikipedia
Telly Savalas Facts
- In order to support his family, he used to sell newspapers and polish shoes alongside his brother Gus.
- In 1934, he won a spelling bee while at Cobbett Junior High School but did not receive his prize due to an oversight. He was awarded the prize several years later in 1991.
- Telly Savalas was an excellent swimmer and started working as a beach lifeguard when he was in high school. Once, he was unable to save a father from drowning and as he attempted resuscitation, the man’s children stood nearby crying for their father to wake up. This incident had a major impact on the actor who then spent the rest of his life constantly promoting water safety. He also made all of his 6 children take swimming lessons.
- He was drafted into the United States Army in 1941 and served in Company C, 12th Medical Training Battalion, 4th Medical Training Regiment at Camp Pickett, Virginia from 1941 to 1943.
- After he got severely injured in a car accident, he was discharged from the Army with the rank of corporal in 1943.
- Telly Savalas was diagnosed with transitional cell cancer of the bladder in late 1989.
Featured Image by Comet Photo AG (Zürich) / ETH-Bibliothek / CC BY-SA 4.0