Victor Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as diner owner Mel Sharples on the television sitcom ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'' (1976–1985), as well as his multiple guest appearances on ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...

'' (1977–1987). The former earned him two consecutive

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...

(for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series) and a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

nomination for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Early life

Tayback was born on January 6, 1930 in

Brooklyn, New York 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 ...

, to

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

Catholic immigrant parents Helen (née Hanood; ) and Najeeb James Tayback () . Both of his parents had emigrated to the United States from

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

. He moved with his family to

Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...

, California during his teenage years and attended Burbank High School, from which he graduated in 1948. He also attended Glendale Community College and the Frederick A. Speare School of Radio and TV Broadcasting.

Career

Tayback served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

before beginning his acting career at the age of 25. A lifetime member of the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method actin ...

, he was a familiar face on television in the 1960s and 1970s, appearing on numerous series, including '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Here Come the Brides'', '' That Girl'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 ...

'', ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom created by Bernard Slade, which was broadcast in the United States from September 1970 to March 1974 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. After the final first-run telecast on ABC in March ...

'', ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American sitcoms in the United States, sitcom television series that aired on CBS for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes. It was later produced as ''Archie Bunker's Pla ...

'', '' Fantasy Island'', ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originall ...

'', and ''

''. He also appeared in many films such as ''

Bullitt ''Bullitt'' is a 1968 American action thriller film directed by Peter Yates from a screenplay by Alan Trustman, Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner and based on the 1963 crime novel ''Mute Witness'' by Robert L. Fish. It stars Steve McQueen, Ro ...

'' (1968), '' Papillon'' (1973), '' The Gambler'' (1974), ''

The Cheap Detective ''The Cheap Detective'' is a 1978 American Mystery film, mystery comedy film written by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore (director), Robert Moore. It stars Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpaugh, a parody of Humphrey Bogart. The film is a parody ...

'' (1978), and '' All Dogs Go to Heaven'' (1989), as well as more than 25 stage productions, including '' Twelve Angry Men'', '' The Diary of Anne Frank'', ''

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a ...

'', and '' Brighton Beach Memoirs''. He was the co-founder of the theatre troupe

Company of Angels A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

. He also appeared in television commercials, notably in 1968 with

Richard Dreyfuss Richard Stephen Dreyfuss ( ; Dreyfus; born October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He emerged from the New Hollywood wave of American cinema, finding fame with a succession of leading man parts in the 1970s. He has received an Academy Award, a ...

for the

AMC Javelin The AMC Javelin is an American front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-door hardtop automobile manufactured by American Motors Corporation (AMC) across two generations, 1968 through 1970 and 1971 through 1974 model years. The car was positioned an ...

. Tayback's most famous role was as diner owner Mel Sharples in both the film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974) and the television series ''

'' (1976–1985). He was the only actor in the original film to reprise his role for the rest of the series. For the role, he was nominated for a

in 1978 and won two consecutive

in 1980 and 1981. In 1971, he made a guest appearance as Dirks in season 16, episode 19 of the long-running CBS Western series ''

''.

Personal life

Tayback was married to Sheila Maureen Barnard (1932–2001) from March 16, 1963, until his death on May 25, 1990. They had a son, Christopher (born 1963), who is a business trial lawyer and former prosecutor.

Death

Tayback died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at age 60 on May 25, 1990. Tayback was pronounced dead at 1:56 a.m. at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where he was taken after his wife called paramedics. She said he had climbed out of bed, taken a few steps and collapsed. Tayback was a lifelong smoker and had a history of heart problems. He underwent a triple bypass in 1983. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).

Filmography

Film

*''

The Power of the Resurrection ''The Power of the Resurrection'' is a 1958 American feature film directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring Richard Kiley, Jon Shepodd, Morris Ankrum. The film is also known as ''The Passion and the Power of the Christ''. Plot A young man soon f ...

'' (1958) – Simon the Canaanite *'' T-Bird Gang'' (1959) – Cop #1 at gas station *'' Gangster Story'' (1959) – Norm, Resort Guard (uncredited) *'' North to Alaska'' (1960) – Roustabout (uncredited) *''

Five Minutes to Live ''Five Minutes to Live'' is a 1961 Cinema of the United States, American neo-noir crime film directed by Bill Karn. It was retitled ''Door-to-Door Maniac'' for an American International Pictures rerelease in 1966. The film stars Johnny Cash, in h ...

'' (1961) – Fred Dorella *'' With Six You Get Eggroll'' (1968) – Truck Driver *''

'' (1968) – Pete Ross *'' Blood and Lace'' (1971) – Calvin Carruthers *'' Emperor of the North Pole'' (1973) – Yardman *'' The Blue Knight'' (1973) – Neil Grogan *'' The Don Is Dead'' (1973) – Ralph Negri *'' Papillon'' (1973) – Sergeant *'' Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'' (1974) – Mario Pinski *'' The Gambler'' (1974) – One *'' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974) – Mel *''

Report to the Commissioner ''Report to the Commissioner'' is a 1975 American crime drama film based on James Mills' 1972 novel. It involves a rookie cop ( Michael Moriarty) in the New York City Police Department who is assigned a special missing person case, which in fact ...

'' (1975) – Lieutenant Seidensticker *'' Lepke'' (1975) – Lucky Luciano *'' No Deposit, No Return'' (1976) – Big Joe *'' The Big Bus'' (1976) – Goldie *'' Special Delivery'' (1976) – Wyatt *'' Mansion of the Doomed'' (1976) – Detective Simon *'' The Shaggy D.A.'' (1976) – Eddie Roschak *'' The Choirboys'' (1977) – Zoony *''

'' (1978) – Lieutenant DiMaggio *'' Treasure Island'' (1986) – Silver *'' Weekend Warriors'' (1986) – Sergeant Burdge *'' The Underachievers'' (1987) – Coach *''

Loverboy Loverboy is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in Calgary, Alberta in 1979. Loverboy's hit singles, particularly "Turn Me Loose (Loverboy song), Turn Me Loose" and "Working for the Weekend", have become arena rock staples and are still hear ...

'' (1989) – Harry Bruckner *'' Beverly Hills Bodysnatchers'' (1989) – Lou *'' All Dogs Go to Heaven'' (1989) – Carface Caruthers (voice) *''Horseplayer'' (1990) - George Samsa (Final film role)

Television

* ''

'' (1976-1985) as Mel Sharples * ''

Griff Griff may refer to: People * Griff (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Griff (singer), stage name of English singer and songwriter Sarah Faith Griffiths (born 2001) * Nickname of Guy Griffiths (1915–1999), British Secon ...

'' as Captain Barney Marcus. Series starred

Lorne Greene Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; February 12, 1915 – September 11, 1987) was a Canadian actor, singer, and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Adama in ...

in title role and

Ben Murphy Ben Murphy (born March 6, 1942) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Kid Curry in the ABC television series '' Alias Smith and Jones''. Early life Murphy was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to Benjamin R. Castleberry and Nadi ...

* '' Khan!'' as Lieutenant Gubbins * ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

'' as Turhan In the episode "This Is Murder" * '' Buckskin'' (Episode: "The Battle of Gabe Pruitt") – Claude * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (Season 4 Episode 7: "A Man with a Problem") (1958) – Man Talking to Cab Driver * '' 77 Sunset Strip'' (1960) (Episode: Trouble in the Middle East) Bearded Rebel * '' Rawhide'' (Episode: "The Gray Rock Hotel") (1965) – Monte * '' F Troop'' (Episode: "Corporal Agarn's Farewell To The Troops") (1965) – Bill Colton * '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (Episode: "The Re-Collectors Affair") (1965) – Sargent * ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

'' (Episode: "Onatha") (1966) – Hongas * '' Family Affair'' (Episode: 8 Season 1 "Who's Afraid of Nural Shpeni?") (1966) - Policeman * ''

'' (Episode: "Ladies From St. Louis") (1967) – Gaines * ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the Spy fiction, secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Bu ...

'' (Episode: "Appointment in Sahara") (1967) – Jamal * ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

'' (Episodes: "Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers") (1966–1967) - George * ''

'' (1966) – Rocco in S1:E16, "Son of a Gypsy" * ''

'' (1967) – Chuche in S2:E5, "Art, for Monkees' Sake" * '' Here Come the Brides'' (recurring logger) (1968-1970) * '' Star Trek: The Original Series'' (Episode: " A Piece of the Action") (1968) – Jojo Krako * '' That Girl'' (1968) (Season 3 Episode 12) - Max * ''

Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...

'' (Episode: "Devil's Blessing") (1969) - Porter *'' The Bill Cosby Show'' (Episode: "The Fatal Phone Call") (1969) - Calvin *''

'' (Episode 358 "Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing". Season 11 Episode 25) (1970) - Everett Gaskell *''

(Episode: Danny & The Mob) 1971 *''

'' (Episode: "Second Story Story") (1971) – Officer Jackson * '' Bewitched'' (Episode: "The Good Fairy Strikes Again") (1971) – Officer #1 * ''

'' (Episode: "Suitable for Framing") (1971) – Sam Franklin * '' The F.B.I.'' (Episode: "The Natural") (1971) - Ed Larch * '' The F.B.I.'' (Episode: "Dark Journey") (1972) - Neil Parks * ''

'' (Episode: "The Fugitives S18E7") (1972)- Bill Hankins * '' Arnie'' (Episode: "Boom or Bust") (1972) – Sergeant * '' The Bold Ones: The New Doctors'' (Episode: "Is This Operation Necessary?") (1972) – Frank Wells * '' Emergency!'' (Episode: "Boot") (1973) – Truck Driver. * ''

'' (Episode: "Et Tu, Archie?") (1974) – Joe Tucker * ''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th Street in Greenwich Village (Lower Manhattan). The series was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Janu ...

'' (Episode: "Stakeout", "The Social Worker") (1975) – Mr. Savocheck / Master Forger * ''

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 ...

'' (Episode: "The Choice") (1976) – Frankie Nyles * '' Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' (Episode: 29, Season: 1) (1976) * '' Hawaii Five-O'' (Episode: "Bones of Contention" ; "Angel in Blue") (1975–1978) – Martin Lynch / Parmel * '' The Eddie Capra Mysteries'' (Episode: "How Do I Kill Thee?") (1978) – Logan * ''Getting Married'' (1978) – Burt Carboni * ''

$weepstake$ ''Sweepstakes'', stylized as ''$weepstake$'', is an American anthology television series that aired in the United States on NBC during the 1978-79 United States network television schedule#Tuesday, 1978–-79 television season. It depicts the liv ...

'' (Episode: "Billy, Wally and Ludmilla, and Theodore") (1979) – Sergeant Yarbrough * ''

'' (Episode: "Friends & Lovers; Sergeant Bull; Miss Mother") (1980) – Sergeant Harry Beluski * '' Flo'' (Episode: "What Are Friends For?") (1981) – Mel Sharples * '' Fantasy Island'' (1979–1983, Multiple) – George Walters / Laura Walters / Norman Atkins / Chet Nolan / Melvyn Mews * '' T. J. Hooker'' (Episode: "Hooker's War") (1982) – Lieutenant Pete Benedict * ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

'' (Episode: "Relative Loss") (1983) – Wallace Egan * '' Finder of Lost Loves'' (Episode: "Maxwell Ltd: Finder of Lost Loves Pilot") (1984) – Thomas Velasco * ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (Episode: "One Good Bid Deserves a Murder") (1986) – Sal Domino * '' Crazy Like a Fox'' (1986) * ''

'' (1977–1987, Multiple) – Himself / Jack Hamilton / Shelley Sommers / 'Dutch' Boden / Sergeant Harry Beluski / Harry Stewart * '' Adderly'' (1987) – Gregorin * '' Tales from the Darkside'' (Episodes: "The New Man", (as Alan Coombs) Season 1, 1984, and "Basher Malone" (as Tippy Ryan) Season 4, 1988) * ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...

'' (1990, Episode: "Jenny's Chance") – George Henderson (final television appearance)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Vic Tayback biography, as cast member from "Alice"
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tayback, Vic 1930 births 1990 deaths American male film actors American people of Syrian descent American male stage actors American male television actors American male voice actors Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Male actors from Glendale, California Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Brooklyn

Early life

Career

Personal life

Death

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

Further reading

See also

External links