Rick Aviles

Rick Aviles (October 14, 1952 – March 17, 1995) was an American stand-up comedian and actor of Puerto Rican descent, best remembered for his role as Willie Lopez in the film ''Ghost''.

Career

Born in Manhattan, Aviles worked as a street performer and stand-up comedian on the Greenwich Village night-club circuit in New York in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1978, a ''Variety'' reviewer called him "a comic with a future". He was frequently seen in the NYC subways, doing his act for the riders. He made his film debut as Mad Dog in 1981's ''The Cannonball Run''. He went on to work in several other films, including minor parts in '' Street Smart'' and '' The Secret of My Success'', both released in 1987. That same year he became the host of ''It's Showtime at the Apollo'', which he continued as host until 1991.New York Times; Movies and T.V.
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A ''Variety'' review of his stand-up act in 1990 noted, "Utilizing masterful ethnic impersonations and a remarkably rubbery face, Puerto Rican comic Rick Aviles comes off as one of the brightest and most consistently clever stand-ups working the circuit today".

In 1990, Aviles landed his most memorable role: the hired killer Willie Lopez in ''Ghost'', a smash hit at the box office that received multiple Oscar nominations. He also appeared in Jim Jarmusch's ''Mystery Train'' (1989) as Will Robinson; Francis Ford Coppola's ''The Godfather Part III'' (1990) as Mask #1; Brian De Palma's '' Carlito's Way'' (1993) as Quisqueya; in ''Waterworld'' (1995) as the Gatesman, and in '' Joe's Apartment'' (1996) as the voice of a cockroach.

Among the television series in which he appeared are '' Mr. & Mrs. Dracula'' (1980), ''The Day Women Got Even'' (1980), ''The Carol Burnett Show'' (1991) and Stephen King's ''The Stand'' (1994).

Death

On April 17, 1995, ''Variety'' reported that Aviles had died of heart failure on March 17. Eleven years later, a 2006 article in ''Entertainment Weekly'' listed him as among the celebrities who had contracted HIV and died from complications of AIDS.

Filmography

See also

* List of Puerto Ricans
* List of Puerto Ricans of African descent
* African immigration to Puerto Rico

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aviles, Rick
1952 births
1995 deaths
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
AIDS-related deaths in California
Male actors from Manhattan
American actors of Puerto Rican descent
20th-century American male actors