Raymond Jay Castellani (February 13, 1933 – October 18, 2021) was an American
character actor. As a former
alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
, he founded the Frontline Foundation, which serves meals to the homeless on the
Los Angeles' Skid Row.
Castellani was born in
Albany, New York
Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...
on February 13, 1933. In 1995, Castellani received the
Presidential Citizens Medal from President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
at a White House ceremony. During the early 1990s, President
George H. W. Bush included Castellani among his "
thousand points of light
The phrase "a thousand points of light" was popularized by U.S. President George H. W. Bush and later formed the name of a private, non-profit organization launched by Bush to support volunteerism.
History
The first known instance of the phras ...
." He attended
The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool (age 3) to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Renssela ...
, class of 1952. Upon graduation, he spent a semester at
Springfield College. During this time he received a draft notice, and then served as a
Marine during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Castellani acted in numerous plays, television shows, and films, including
''
Bonanza'', ''
Lawman'', and ''
Dragnet''. Often he played villains. As Castellani's alcoholism increased, his career suffered and his acting skills eroded. Despite this, he appeared in television shows such as, ''
The Dakotas
The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econo ...
'', ''
Adam-12'', ''
Temple Houston'', ''
Night Gallery
''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...
'', ''
Simon and Simon
''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who operate ...
'', ''
Kojak
''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, ...
'', ''
Planet of the Apes
''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...
'', ''McNaughton's Daughter'', ''
Judd for the Defense'', ''
The D.A.'', ''
Sam'', ''
Mobile One
''Mobile One'' is an American television series that aired on the ABC network from September 12, 1975 to January 5, 1976. The show was a production of Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited for Universal Television. It was the only Mark VII Limited show ...
'', ''
Emergency!
''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situa ...
'', ''
Quincy'', ''
The Redd Foxx Show
''The Redd Foxx Show'' is an American television sitcom that premiered January 18, 1986 on ABC. The show was cancelled after 3 months, partly due to low ratings in its Saturday-night timeslot (the eighth episode aired in a Friday-night slot). Alt ...
'', ''
Lucan'', ''
Turnabout'', ''
General Hospital'', ''
CHiPs
''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...
'', ''
Riker'', and ''Oklahoma City Dolls''.
In New York, he appeared in plays such as ''The Curious Savage'', ''
Hat Full of Rain'', ''
The Rain Maker'', ''
What Makes Sammy Run'', and ''Light Up the Sky''.
During the 1970s, Castellani occasionally found himself homeless on Skid Row in Los Angeles. Castellani returned to acting in the 1980s, but quit to found the Frontline Foundation in 1987. As of January 2011, he continues to operate this charity.
In 2008, Castellani released an autobiography titled, ''The End Was But A Beginning: A True Story''.
He served over one million meals on the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. He died on October 18, 2021, at the age of 88.
References
External links
Frontline Foundation Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castellani, Raymond
1933 births
2021 deaths
American male stage actors
American male television actors
Philanthropists from New York (state)
American anti-poverty advocates
Homeless people
Actors from Albany, New York
Activists from New York (state)
The Albany Academy alumni