Leonard Termo (March 6, 1935 – October 30, 2012) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

whose numerous film and television roles included ''

Fight Club ''Fight Club'' is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel ''Fight Club (novel), Fight Club'' by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton plays The Narrator (F ...

'', ''

Johnny Dangerously ''Johnny Dangerously'' is a 1984 American crime comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling; two of its four screenwriters, Jeff Harris and Bernie Kukoff, had previously created the hit series ''Diff'rent Strokes''. The film, a parody of 1930s c ...

'', and ''

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''. Termo was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. He worked as a businessman in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

's Garment District until he left the industry in the mid-1970s to pursue acting as a full-time profession. In a November 1983 ''

'' magazine article profiling actor

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. ( ; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former professional Boxing, boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading actor, leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. In a Mickey Rourke filmogra ...

, Termo told the interviewer that he had given up much of his life to continue acting, saying he "left it all—my wife, my kid, my money, everything... I love acting. I'm broke. I sleep on a cot." Termo made his film debut in the 1983 movie ''

Heart Like a Wheel ''Heart Like a Wheel'' is the fifth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt, released in November 1974. It was Ronstadt's last album to be released by Capitol Records. At the time of its recording, Ronstadt had already moved to Asylum Records and re ...

''. Termo formed a long personal and professional friendship with Rourke during the 1980s after Rourke saw Termo performing at a theater in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' described the duo as "constant companions" for years. Termo appeared in five of Rourke's films throughout the 1980s, beginning with ''

The Pope of Greenwich Village ''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' is a 1984 American dramatic crime film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Geraldine Page, Kenneth McMillan and Burt Young. Page was nominated for the Academy A ...

'' in 1984. Rourke and Termo had appeared together in '' Year of the Dragon'' in 1985, ''

Barfly Barfly may refer to: * ''Barfly'' (album), 1995 album by the band Buck-O-Nine * Barfly (club), a music venue in Camden Town, London, UK * ''Barfly'' (film), 1987 American film starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway * Barfly, a bar in Montreal o ...

'' in 1987, ''

A Prayer for the Dying ''A Prayer for the Dying'' is a 1987 thriller film about a former IRA member trying to escape his past. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Mickey Rourke, Bob Hoskins, Alan Bates and Liam Neeson. The film is based on the 1973 Jack ...

'', also released in 1987, and '' Homeboy'' in 1988. Termo and Rourke were also set to co-star in a film on 1930s-era gangster Jack "Legs" Diamond (with Rourke as Diamond and Termo portraying Diamond's

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an very important person, important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public offic ...

), but the proposed

Embassy Pictures Embassy Pictures Corporation (also and later known as Avco Embassy Pictures as well as Embassy Films Associates) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was active from 1942 to 1986. Embassy was responsible ...

movie was never made. Termo's other 1980s film roles included '' The Cotton Club'' in 1984; ''

'' in 1984; and ''

Turk 182 ''Turk 182'' is a 1985 American action comedy-drama film directed by Bob Clark and starring Timothy Hutton, Robert Urich, Kim Cattrall, Robert Culp, and Peter Boyle. It is also one of the first movies to receive a PG-13 rating. Plot 34-year- ...

'' in 1985. His film career continued in the 1990s and 2000s with parts in ''

Ruby Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...

'' in 1992; the

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...

film ''

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novelist. In the 1950s, Wood directed several B movie, low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult c ...

'' in 1994, in which he played a

make-up artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...

; '' Lost Highway'' in 1997; ''

'' in 1999; and ''

Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...

'' in 2001. His television credits included '' Wiseguy'' and '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''. Termo appeared in the premiere episode of the comedy

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

'' fifth season—in "

The Mango "The Mango" is the 65th episode of the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld''. It aired on September 16, 1993, and is the premiere of the show's fifth season. Larry David said that a friend of his came up with the setup of this episode: Elaine never having ...

", aired on September 16, 1993, Termo portrayed Joe, the owner of Joe's Fruits store, who bans both Kramer (

Michael Richards Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor and former stand-up comedian. He achieved global recognition for starring as Cosmo Kramer on the NBC television sitcom ''Seinfeld'' from 1989 to 1998. He began his career as a ...

) and

Jerry Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * Jerry (play), a 1914 American play ...

(

Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...

) from his store after Kramer criticizes one of his bad peaches. Termo died in his sleep at his home in

Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-most populous city in Los Angeles County, the 17th-most popul ...

, on October 30, 2012, at the age of 77. His death was confirmed by Termo's friend, actor

Elias Koteas Elias Koteas (; ; born March 11, 1961) is a Canadian actor who has performed in lead and supporting roles in numerous films and television series. He won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film '' Ararat'' (20 ...

. On November 2, 2012, actor

Matt Dillon Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Independent Spirit Awards alongside nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, ...

dedicated an award he received at the

Savannah Film Festival Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United S ...

in honor of Termo, who was also a friend of Dillon's.

Partial filmography

(1983) as Good Joe *''Dragster'' (1983) - Good Joe *''

'' (1984) - Fat Waldo *'' The Cotton Club'' (1984) - Danny *''

'' (1984) - Tony Scarano *''

'' (1985) - Barricade Cop *'' Year of the Dragon'' (1985) - Angelo Rizzo *''

'' (1987) - Bonati *''

'' (1987) - Harry *''Zits'' (1988) - KGB Chief *'' Bloodhounds of Broadway'' (1989) - Goodtime Nate Fishkin *'' Hider in the House'' (1989) - George / Exterminator *'' My Blue Heaven'' (1990) * '' Midnight Cabaret'' - Lt. McMurphy *''

Mobsters A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level ...

'' (1991) - Joe Palermo *'' 29th Street'' (1991) - Dr. Puccini *''

'' (1992) - Tony Ana *'' Nowhere to Run'' (1993) - Bus Guard *'' Gettysburg'' (1993) - Cpl. George F. Estabrook *''

'' (1994) - Makeup Man Harry *''

Mojave Moon ''Mojave Moon'' is a 1996 American road movie. It stars Danny Aiello, Anne Archer, Michael Biehn, Angelina Jolie and Jack Noseworthy. The film was written by Leonard Glasser and directed by Kevin Dowling. Plot Al McCord is hanging out at his ...

'' (1996) - Shorty *'' Lost Highway'' (1997) - Judge (voice) *'' Gone Fishin''' (1997) - Vending Worker #1 *''Lover Girl'' (1997) - Mr. Johnny *''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...

'' (1998) - Homeless Guy *''Ballad of the Nightingale'' (1999) - Tony the Tank *''

'' (1999) - Desk Sergeant *''Family Tree'' (1999) - Vince *''Blood Type'' (1999) - Chauffeur *''Double Bang'' (2001) - Al Lucito *''

'' (2001) - Madison Square Garden Reporter #1 *'' Gods and Generals'' (2003) - Glazier Estabrook (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Termo, Leonard 2012 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Santa Clarita, California Male actors from Brooklyn 1935 births American people of Italian descent