Mark Margolis (, ; November 26, 1939 – August 3, 2023) was an American actor known for his portrayal of the character Hector Salamanca in ''

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...

'' (2009–2011) and '' Better Call Saul'' (2016–2022). His performance in ''Breaking Bad'' was nominated for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

in 2012. Margolis regularly performed in the films of director Darren Aronofsky, appearing in his first six films beginning with '' Pi'' (1998). He was also known for playing Alberto "The Shadow" in '' Scarface'' (1983), Jimmy in '' The Equalizer'' (1985–1989), Mr. Shickadance in '' Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'' (1994), Antonio Nappa in '' Oz'' (1999–2003), Mr. Morrison in '' Short Eyes'' (1977) and the New Priest in '' Immortals'' (2011). He started acting in his teens.

Early life

Margolis was born on November 26, 1939, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Pennsylvania, the son of Jewish parents Fanya (née Fried) and Isidore Margolis. Margolis was briefly a student at

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

before dropping out and moving to New York City. At age 19, he was a student under Stella Adler at the Actors Studio. He was also later trained by Lee Strasberg and Barbara Loden.

Career

After training with Adler, Margolis started performing in various plays. In 1962 he played in the Broadway production ''Infidel Caesar'', a production based on Shakespeare's ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

''. The play was closed in previews and never ended up officially opening. He subsequently founded Blue Dome, a touring theater company that performed various productions. Margolis then worked in over 50 Off-Broadway plays. In 1966, as part of Batman: The Movie, Margolis played the role of a kidnapped UN Security Council member. In 1976, Margolis made a film appearance as an airplane passenger in '' The Opening of Misty Beethoven''. Margolis was also noted for his supporting roles in '' Scarface'' (1983), '' Short Eyes'' (1977), '' Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'' (1994), '' Immortals'' (2011), and the films of Darren Aronofsky: '' Pi'' (1998), '' Requiem for a Dream'' (2000), '' The Fountain'' (2006), '' The Wrestler'' (2008), '' Black Swan'' (2010), and '' Noah'' (2014). In 1990, Margolis appeared in an episode of the science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. In 1991, he played Helmut Dieter in the soap opera '' Santa Barbara''. In addition, he had recurring roles on numerous other TV shows, including '' The Equalizer'', '' Quantum Leap'', '' Oz'', '' Law & Order'', '' Crossing Jordan'', '' Californication'', ''

'', and '' Better Call Saul''. In January 2015, he portrayed Felix Faust in the '' Constantine'' episode "Quid Pro Quo". For his role in ''Breaking Bad'' as Hector Salamanca, Margolis received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He would later reprise the role in the show's spin-off series, ''Better Call Saul.'' Despite focusing on television and film later in his career, Margolis continued acting on the stage. In 2010, he appeared as Bernie Madoff, in a regional production of '' Imagining Madoff''. In the Berkeley Repertory Theater's 2014 season, he appeared as Gus in

Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Among his stage work, he is most known for ''Angels in America'', which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, as well as its subsequent acclaime ...

's '' The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures''. In 2019, he performed in another of Kushner's works, playing Gottfried Swetts in '' A Bright Room Called Day''.

Personal life

Margolis married Jacqueline Margolis (née Petcove), on June 3, 1962. They had a son, actor Morgan Margolis, and three grandchildren.

Death

Margolis died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City following a short illness, on August 3, 2023, at age 83.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Margolis, Mark 1939 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Male actors from Philadelphia American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors Jewish American male actors Temple University alumni Actors Studio alumni Method actors American people of Jewish descent American Ashkenazi Jews 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews American stage actors