Raymond Jay Castellani (February 13, 1933 – October 18, 2021) 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 ...

. As a former alcoholic, 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 List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

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 and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

at a White House ceremony. During the early 1990s, President

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

included Castellani among his " thousand points of light." He attended The Albany Academy, class of 1952. Upon graduation, he spent a semester at

Springfield College Springfield College is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The institution's mission, called the Humanism, Humanics philosophy, calls for educating students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service ...

. During this time he received a draft notice, and then served as a Marine during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. During the 1950s and 1960s, Castellani acted in numerous plays, television shows, and films, including ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', '' Lawman'', and '' Dragnet''. 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''. 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 American homeless people Male actors from Albany, New York Activists from New York (state) The Albany Academy alumni 21st-century American male writers American autobiographers 21st-century American biographers 20th-century American male actors