Sam Coppola (July 31, 1932 – February 5, 2012) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television, appearing in more than 35 films and nearly 40 television shows, since 1968.

Education

Coppola was an alumnus of the Lee Strasberg acting studio.

Career

Coppola's film roles include, a Cop (uncredited) in '' Serpico'' (1973), Dan Fusco, owner of the hardware and paint store who gave

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He began acting in television before transitioning into a leading man in films. List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, His accolades include a Primetime Em ...

's character Tony Manero advice in ''

Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American Dance in film, dance Drama (film and television), drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian Americans, Italian-America ...

'' (1977), and Fuselli in ''

Fatal Attraction ''Fatal Attraction'' is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film '' Diversion''. It follows Dan Gallagher ( Michael Douglas), an attorney who cheats on his ...

'' (1987). On television, Coppola's appearances include roles in the series ''

Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...

'' (1975-76), '' The Equalizer'' (1986), ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...

'' (1997), ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...

'' (2006), ''

The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law ...

'' (2011), and on shows in the ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...

'' franchise. On ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

'' (1999), Coppola made a brief appearance as the idiosyncratic family therapist of

Jennifer Melfi Dr. Jennifer Melfi is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. She is the psychiatrist of Mafia boss Tony Soprano. She is portrayed by Lorraine Bracco. Character description Melfi is an Italian-American, with her father's fa ...

. In the 2001 A&E television movie '' The Big Heist'', Coppola portrayed mob boss Paul Castellano. Coppola played a nursing home resident in a

Chevy Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

commercial that aired during 2011's Super Bowl and a hot dog vendor in a

Ball Park Franks Ball Park Franks is an American brand of hot dog and hamburger buns and patties made by Tyson Foods and popularized in 1958 by the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. Ball Park Frank is the most consumed hot dog in America with 91.04 millio ...

spot starring

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

. On stage, Coppola portrayed Aaronow, an aging real estate salesman in a 2000 production of '' Glengarry Glen Ross'' at McCarter Theatre in

Princeton, NJ The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...

, and in a 2005

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

production of ''

Waiting for Godot ''Waiting for Godot'' ( or ) is a 1953 play by Irish writer and playwright Samuel Beckett, in which the two main characters, Vladimir (Waiting for Godot), Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engage in a variety of discussions and encounters w ...

'' he portrayed the hobo Vladimir.

Personal life

Coppola resided in

Leonia, New Jersey Leonia is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,304, an increase of 367 (+4.1%) from the 2010 United Sta ...

for 38-years. He was predeceased by his wife, and survived by two children, Jason and Samantha, and by three grandchildren. Sam Coppola is not related to

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

, the film director.

Death

Coppola died February 5, 2012, from an

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward :wikt:bulge, bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also b ...

Filmography

Film

* '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968) - Customer (uncredited) * ''Interplay'' (1970) - Mel * '' The Anderson Tapes'' (1971) - Private Detective * '' The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'' (1971) - Julie * '' Serpico'' (1973) - Cop (uncredited) * '' Crazy Joe'' (1974) - Chick * ''Death Journey'' (1976) - Detective Johnson * ''

'' (1977) - Dan Fusco * ''

Fingers A finger is a prominent digit on the forelimbs of most tetrapod vertebrate animals, especially those with prehensile extremities (i.e. hands) such as humans and other primates. Most tetrapods have five digits (pentadactyly), Chambers 1998 p. 60 ...

'' (1978) - Sam * ''

King of the Gypsies The title King of the Gypsies has been claimed or given over the centuries to many different people. It is both culturally and geographically specific. It may be inherited, acquired by acclamation or action, or simply claimed. The extent of the ...

'' (1978) - (uncredited) * ''

Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002, to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...

'' (1983) - Schoyer * ''

'' (1987) - Fuselli * ''Zits'' (1988) - Principal * '' Blue Steel'' (1989) - PBA Representative * '' She's Back'' (1989) - Det. Brophy * ''Street Hunter'' (1990) - Jannelli * ''

Jacob's Ladder Jacob's Ladder () is a ladder or staircase leading to Heaven that was featured in a dream the Biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis (chapter 28). The significance of the dream has been de ...

'' (1990) - Taxi Driver * '' A Kiss Before Dying'' (1991) - Detective Michaelson * '' Joey Breaker'' (1993) - Sid Kramer * '' Money for Nothing'' (1993) - Bartender Lindey * '' Palookaville'' (1995) - Mr. Kott, Money Truck Driver * ''The Deli'' (1997) - Mr. Bishop * '' A Wake in Providence'' (1999) - Uncle Joe * ''Blue Moon'' (2000) - Bill * '' Sally'' (2000) - Dr. Felch * '' Friends & Family'' (2001) - Carlo Ricci * ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' (2002) - Bobby Gold * ''

Nola Nola is a town and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. It lies on the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. It is traditionally credited as the diocese that introduced bells to Christian worship. ...

'' (2003) - Gus * '' True Crime: New York City'' (2005) - Additional voices * ''Heavy Petting'' (2007) - Old Codger #1 * ''House of Satisfaction'' (2008) - Barry * ''Reunion'' (2009) - Max * ''Run It'' (2009) - Vinny * ''Driving Me Crazy'' (2012) - Larry Petterson

Television

References

External links

* *
Obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coppola, Sam 1932 births 2012 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Jersey City, New Jersey Actors from Leonia, New Jersey American people of Italian descent 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors