Editing Vincent Schiavelli

{{short description|American actor (1948–2005)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name                   = Vincent Schiavelli
| image                  = Vincent Schiavelli, 1987 (cropped).jpg
| caption                = Schiavelli in 1987
| birth_name             = Vincent Andrew Schiavelli
| birth_date             = {{Birth date|1948|11|11}}
| birth_place            = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date             = {{Death date and age|2005|12|26|1948|11|10}}
| death_place            = [[Polizzi Generosa]], [[Sicily]], Italy
| other_names            = 
|education = [[New York University]] {{small|([[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]])}}
| occupation             = Actor
| years_active           = 1971–2005<br />1993−2005 (writing)
| spouses                = {{marriage|[[Allyce Beasley]]|1985|1988|end=divorce}}
{{marriage|Carol Sue Mukhalian|1992}}
| children               = 1
}}
'''Vincent Andrew Schiavelli''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|k|iː|ə|ˈ|v|ɛ|l|i}}; November 11, 1948 – December 26, 2005) was an American [[character actor]] noted for his work on [[theatre|stage]], [[film|screen]], and [[television]].<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|title=Vincent Schiavelli|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/110164/Vincent-Schiavelli/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722051338/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/110164/Vincent-Schiavelli/biography|url-status=dead|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Hal Erickson|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2015|archive-date=2015-07-22}}</ref> Described as an "instantly recognizable sad-faced actor", he was diagnosed with [[Marfan syndrome]] in childhood.<ref name=Jacobs1991>Tom Jacobs (08 September 1991). [ACTOR SCHIAVELLI DECLARES VICTORY OVER MARFAN'S]. The Chicago Tribune, accessed 27 November 2019</ref>

Schiavelli gained fame as a character actor, mainly in supporting roles. He was a regular in the films of [[Miloš Forman]] including as Fredrickson in ''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]'' (1975), Salieri's valet in ''[[Amadeus (film)|Amadeus]]'' (1984), Jean in ''[[Valmont (film)|Valmont]]'' (1989), Chester in ''[[The People vs. Larry Flynt]]'' (1996), and [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] executive Maynard Smith in ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]'' (1999).

His other roles include Mr. Vargas in ''[[Fast Times at Ridgemont High]]'' (1982), John O'Connor in ''[[The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension]]'' (1982), the Subway Ghost in ''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]'' (1990), Organ Grinder in ''[[Batman Returns]]'' (1992), Lanny in ''[[The X-Files]]'' episode "[[Humbug (The X-Files)|Humbug]]" (1995),  Dr. Kaufman in ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]'' (1997), and Buggy Ding Dong in ''[[Death to Smoochy]]'' (2002). Schiavelli is the subject of the biographical film, ''Tanti Beddi Cosi''  (English, ''Many Beautiful Things'') about his return to Polizzi Generosa, the historically significant ancestral village of his grandfather.

==Early life==
Schiavelli was born in [[Brooklyn]], New York City to [[Sicily|Sicilian]]-Americans John Schiavelli and Katherine Coco. He attended [[Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School]] in Brooklyn. He was raised in the large Sicilian neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn; the stories and recipes of which he shared in his 1998 book ''Bruculinu, Remembrances of Sicilian American Brooklyn.'' He studied acting through the theatre program at [[New York University]] and began performing on stage in the 1960s.

==Career==
Schiavelli's first film role occurred in [[Miloš Forman]]'s 1971 production ''[[Taking Off (film)|Taking Off]]'',<ref name=NYT/> where he played a counselor who taught parents of runaway teens to smoke [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] to better understand their children's experiences. Schiavelli's aptitude and distinctive appearance soon provided him with a steady stream of supporting roles, often in Forman's films, including ''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]'', ''[[Amadeus (film)|Amadeus]]'', ''[[The People vs. Larry Flynt]]'', ''[[Valmont (film)|Valmont]]'', and the 1999 biopic ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]''.

He played Mr. Vargas, the biology teacher, in the 1982 comedy ''[[Fast Times at Ridgemont High]]'', a role he reprised in the 1986 television spin-off ''[[Fast Times]]''. He was cast in a similar role in ''[[Better Off Dead (film)|Better Off Dead]]'' in which he played Mr. Kerber, a geometry teacher.

In 1987, he starred alongside [[Tim Conway]] in the short film comedy ''[[Dorf on Golf]]'', and then ''[[Dorf and the First Games of Mount Olympus]]'' in 1988. In 1990, he played the Subway Ghost in ''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]'' and in 1992, he played in [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[Batman Returns]]'' as the "Organ Grinder", one of the [[Penguin (comics)|Penguin]]'s henchmen. He appeared as another villain in the [[James Bond]] film ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]'' (1997), as a silent monk in ''[[The Frisco Kid]]'' (1979), and as John O'Connor, one of the evil Red Lectroids in 1984's ''[[The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension]]''. In 1994 he appeared in the music video for [[ZZ Top]]'s "[[Antenna (ZZ Top album)|Breakaway]]", alongside [[Fairuza Balk]] and in 1997, was named one of America's best character actors by ''Vanity Fair'' magazine. He also made several voice appearances in the animated television show ''[[Hey Arnold!]]''. In 2002, he played a children's television show host turned heroin addict named Buggy Ding Dong in ''[[Death to Smoochy]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Inskeep|first=Steve|date=December 27, 2005|title=Character Actor Vincent Schiavelli Dies|language=en|work=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5070410|access-date=2021-11-15|archive-date=June 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622113829/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5070410|url-status=live}}</ref>

His first television role came in 1972 as Peter Panama in ''[[The Corner Bar]]'', the first sustained portrayal of a gay character on American television. His other television credits include ''[[The Moneychangers]]'', ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]'', ''[[Benson (TV series)|Benson]],'' and ''[[Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]'' as the priest who marries Latka and Simka. He appeared in the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' episode "[[The Arsenal of Freedom]]" as a holographic salesman, on ''[[Miami Vice]]'' as a research scientist who conspires to steal a top-secret prototype weapon from his employer, and in an uncredited role in an episode of ''[[Punky Brewster]]''. In 1987 he appeared as Lyle, a gangster, in the ''[[MacGyver (1985 TV series)|MacGyver]]'' season 2 episode "Soft Touch".  In ''[[Highlander: The Series]]'', he played Leo Atkins, a homeless [[Vietnam War]] veteran accused of murder in the Season 1 episode "Innocent Man". In ''[[The X-Files]]'', he played Lanny, a man with an underdeveloped conjoined twin in the Season 2 episode "[[Humbug (The X-Files)|Humbug]]".

Schiavelli was honorary co-chair of the National Marfan Foundation, an organization that serves those affected by [[Marfan syndrome]], a condition that Schiavelli had.<ref>[http://www.marfan.org/marfan/2635/APR--NMF-Mourns-Vincent-Schiavelli "NMF Mourns the Loss of its Honorary Co-Chair, Vincent Schiavelli"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616123935/http://marfan.org/marfan/2635/APR--NMF-Mourns-Vincent-Schiavelli |date=2013-06-16 }}, National Marfan Foundation. Retrieved April 10, 2011</ref>

Schiavelli also performed in a few video games, including ''[[Emperor: Battle for Dune]]'' (as Harkonnen Mentat Yanich Kobal) and as Dr. Hellman in the video game ''[[Corpse Killer]]''.

==Personal life==

Schiavelli was married twice. He and his first wife, actress [[Allyce Beasley]], were married from 1985 to 1988. They appeared together in an episode of ''[[Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting]]'', Beasley's television series. They had one son, composer Andrea Schiavelli. Vincent Schiavelli then married harpist Carol Sue Mukhalian on October 23, 1992. They remained married until his death.<ref name="Simonson2005">Robert Simonson (December 27, 2005). Vincent Schiavelli, Character Actor With Memorable Mug, Dies at 57 [https://playbill.com/article/vincent-schiavelli-character-actor-with-memorable-mug-dies-at-57-com-129962] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822014115/https://playbill.com/article/vincent-schiavelli-character-actor-with-memorable-mug-dies-at-57-com-129962|date=August 22, 2022}} Playbill</ref>

==Death==
[[File:Vincent Schiavelli tumbstone in Polizzi Generosa Sicily .jpg|thumb|right|Schiavelli's tombstone in [[Polizzi Generosa]] graveyard]]
Schiavelli died of [[lung cancer]] on December 26, 2005, at the age of 57 at his home in [[Polizzi Generosa]], the Sicilian town where his grandfather Andrea Coco was born, and about which he wrote in his 2002 book ''Many Beautiful Things: Stories and Recipes from Polizzi Generosa'' ({{ISBN|0-7432-1528-1}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4561328.stm|title=Character actor Schiavelli dies|date=2005-12-26|publisher=News.bbc.co.uk|access-date=2009-04-14|archive-date=March 15, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315093646/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4561328.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> He was buried at Polizzi Generosa Cemetery near [[Palermo]], [[Sicily]].

==Filmography==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1971
|''[[Taking Off (film)|Taking Off]]''
|Schiavelli
|
|-
|1974
|''[[The Great Gatsby (1974 film)|The Great Gatsby]]''
|Thin Man
|Uncredited
|-
|1974
|''[[For Pete's Sake (film)|For Pete's Sake]]''
|Grocery Clerk
|
|-
|1975
|''[[The Happy Hooker (film)|The Happy Hooker]]''
|Music Guru
|
|-
|1975
|''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''
|Bruce Frederickson<ref name="NYT2">{{cite news |date=April 28, 2022 |title=Vincent Schiavelli Filmography |work=[[The New York Times]] |department=Movies & TV Dept. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/110164/Vincent-Schiavelli/filmographyi}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
|
|-
|1976
|''[[Next Stop, Greenwich Village]]''
|Rent Party Guest
|Uncredited
|-
|1976
|''Angels''
|Tex
|
|-
|1977
|''[[Another Man, Another Chance]]''
|Train Traveler
|Uncredited
|-
|1978
|''[[An Unmarried Woman]]''
|Man at Party
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Butch and Sundance: The Early Days]]''
|Guard
|
|-
|1979
|''[[The Frisco Kid]]''
|Brother Bruno
|
|-
|1980
|''[[The Gong Show Movie]]''
|Mario Romani
|
|-
|1980
|''Seed of Innocence''
|Leo
|
|-
|1980
|''[[The Return (1980 film)|The Return]]''
|Prospector
|
|-
|1981
|''[[American Pop]]''
|Theatre Owner<ref name="NYT2" />
|
|-
|1981
|''[[Chu Chu and the Philly Flash]]''
|B.J.
|
|-
|1981
|''[[The Gangster Chronicles]]''
|[[Jacob Shapiro|Jacob "Gurrah" Shapiro]]
|
|-
|1982
|''[[Night Shift (1982 film)|Night Shift]]''
|Carl
|
|-
|1982
|''[[Fast Times at Ridgemont High]]''
|Mr. Vargas
|
|-
|1983
|''[[The Selling of Vince D'Angelo]]''
|Vince's Right Hand Man
|
|-
|1984
|''[[Kidco]]''
|Phil Porzinski
|
|-
|1984
|''[[The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension]]''
|John O'Connor
|
|-
|1984
|''[[Amadeus (film)|Amadeus]]''
|Salieri's Valet<ref name="NYT2" />
|
|-
|1984
|''[[Johnny Dangerously]]''
|Roman Moronie's Building Planner
|Uncredited
|-
|1985
|''[[Better Off Dead (film)|Better Off Dead]]''
|Mr. Kerber
|
|-
|1988
|''Time Out''
|Receptionist
|
|-
|1989
|''[[Cold Feet (1989 film)|Cold Feet]]''
|Vet
|
|-
|1989
|''[[Homer and Eddie]]''
|Priest
|
|-
|1989
|''[[Valmont (film)|Valmont]]''
|Jean
|
|-
|1990
|''[[Playroom (film)|Playroom]]''
|Roman Hart
|
|-
|1990
|''[[Waiting for the Light]]''
|Mullins
|
|-
|1990
|''[[Mister Frost]]''
|Angelo
|
|-
|1990
|''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]''
|Subway Ghost
|
|-
|1990
|''Penny Ante: The Motion Picture''
|Davidson
|
|-
|1991
|''[[Another You]]'' 
|Dentist
|
|-
|1991
|''[[Ted & Venus]]''
|Publisher
|
|-
|1992
|''[[Batman Returns]]''
|Organ Grinder
|
|-
|1992
|''[[Miracle Beach]]''
|Mystic
|
|-
|1993
|''Painted Desert''
|Harry
|
|-
|1994
|''[[Lurking Fear (film)|Lurking Fear]]''
|Knaggs
|
|-
|1994
|''Cultivating Charlie''
|Martin
|
|-
|1995
|''[[Escape to Witch Mountain (1995 film)|Escape to Witch Mountain]]''
|Waldo Fudd
|
|-
|1995
|''[[3 Ninjas Knuckle Up]]''
|Mayor
|
|-
|1995
|''[[Lord of Illusions]]''
|Vinovich
|
|-
|1995
|''[[Two Much]]''
|Sommelier
|
|-
|1996
|''[[Back to Back (1996 film)|Back to Back]]''
|Leonardo
|
|-
|1996
|''[[The People vs. Larry Flynt]]''
|Chester
|
|-
|1996
|''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]''
|Dr. Hartmut Engel
| News Footage
|-
|1997
|''[[The Beautician and the Beast]]''
|Jailer
|
|-
|1997
|''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]''
|Dr. Kaufman
|
|-
|1998
|''[[Casper Meets Wendy]]''
|Matthew Jeeder
|
|-
|1998
|''[[Love Kills (film)|Love Kills]]''
|Emmet
|
|-
|1998
|''[[Restons groupés]]''
|Gary
|
|-
|1998
|''[[Rusty: A Dog's Tale]]''
|Carney Boss
|
|-
|1998
|''Milo''
|Dr. Matthew
|
|-
|1999
|''[[Inferno (1999 film)|Inferno]]''
|Mr. Singh
|
|-
|1999
|''[[Treehouse Hostage]]''
|Gardener
|Uncredited
|-
|1999
|''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]''
|Maynard Smith, ABC Executive
|
|-
|1999
|''[[The Prince and the Surfer]]''
|Baumgarten
|
|-
|1999
|''American Virgin''
|Cab Driver
|
|-
|2000
|''[[3 Strikes (film)|3 Strikes]]''
|Cortino
|
|-
|2000
|''[[The Pooch and the Pauper]]''
|Willy Wishbow
|
|-
|2001
|''[[Snow White: The Fairest of Them All]]''
|Wednesday
|
|-
|2001
|''American Saint''
|Charley Grebbini
|
|-
|2002
|''[[Hey Arnold!: The Movie]]''
|Mr. Bailey
|Voice
|-
|2002
|''[[Death to Smoochy]]''
|Buggy Ding Dong
|
|-
|2002
|''[[Solino]]''
|Director Baldi
|
|-
|2002
|''[[The 4th Tenor]]''
|Marcello
|
|-
|2003
|''[[Baadasssss!]]''
|Jerry
|
|-
|2003
|''[[Ferrari (2003 film)|Ferrari]]''
|Mr. Paradise
|
|-
|2003
|''Baggage''
|Thomas Horelick
|
|-
|2003
|''Gli Indesiderabili''
|Frank Frigenti
|
|-
|2005
|''[[Miracle in Palermo!]]''
|Federico II
|
|-
|2005
|''Once Upon a Time in Polizzi''
|Himself
|
|-
|2006
|''[[Nuovomondo]]''
|Marriage Broker
|Posthumous role
|-
|2007
|''Oliviero Rising''
|Albino
|Posthumous role
|-
|2010
|''The Passport''
|Inspector Manuel Silvera
|Short film, posthumous role, final film role
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1972
|''[[The Corner Bar]]''
|Peter Panama
|
|-
|1978
|''[[Rescue from Gilligan's Island]]''
|Dimitri
|Television film
|-
|1979
|''[[WKRP In Cincinnati]]''
|Don Pesola #1
|Episode: "The Contest Nobody Could Win"
|-
|1980
|''Escape''
|J.W. White
|Television film
|-
|1980
|''[[White Mama]]''
|Medic
|
|-
|1980
|''[[Nightside (film)|Nightside]]''
|Tom Adams
|Television film
|-
|1981
|''Comedy of Horrors''
|Gregory
|Television film
|-
|1981
|''[[The Fall Guy]]''
|Motel manager
|Television film
|-
|1982
|''Taxi''
|Reverend Gorky
|2 Episodes
|-
|1983
|''Little Shots''
|Smokey Joe
|Television film
|-
|1984
|''[[The Ratings Game]]''
|Skip
|Television film
|-
|1985
|''[[Lots of Luck]]''
|Skinny
|Television film
|-
|1985
|''[[Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting]]''
|Rodney Dillon
|Episode: "Next Stop Murder"
|-
|1985
|''[[Otherworld (TV series)|Otherworld]]''
|Priest 
|Episode: "Village of the Motorpigs"
|-
|1985
|''[[Who's the Boss?]]''
|Motel Manager
|2 Episodes
|-
|1986
|''[[Remington Steele]]''
|Leon Pulver
|Episode: "Steele on the Air"
|-
|1987
|''[[MacGyver (1985 TV series)|MacGyver]]''
|Lyle
|Episode: "Soft Touch"
|-
|1987
|''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''
|The Peddler
|Episode: "[[The Arsenal of Freedom]]"
|-
|1987
|''[[Bride of Boogedy]]''
|Lazarus
|Television film
|-
|1989
|''[[Miami Vice]]''
| Lawrence Fowler
|Episode: "World of Trouble"
|-
|1991
|''[[Eerie, Indiana]]''
|The Dentist
|Episode:''[[The Retainer]]''
|-
|1992
|''[[Highlander: The Series]]''
|Leo
|Episode: "Innocent Man"
|-
|1993
|''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''
|[[Zatara]]
|Voice, episode: "[[Zatanna (Batman: The Animated Series)|Zatanna]]"
|-
|1995
|''[[The Courtyard]]''
|Ivan
|Television film
|-
|1995
|''Brother's Destiny''
|Davinport
|Television film
|-
|1995
|''[[The X-Files]]''
|Lanny
|Episode: "[[Humbug (The X-Files)|Humbug]]"
|-
|1996
|''[[Hey Arnold!]]''
|Pigeon Man, Mr. Bailey
|Voice, 2 episodes
|-
|1998 
|''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''
|Enyos
|2 episodes
|-
|2005
|''[[La bambina dalle mani sporche]]''
|Silva Roibes
|
|}


==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Vincent Schiavelli}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|0001704}}
{{Memory Alpha}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schiavelli, Vincent}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:American expatriates in Italy]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American food writers]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American male video game actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Sicily]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:People of Sicilian descent]]
[[Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Male actors from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:People with Marfan syndrome]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:People from Polizzi Generosa]]
[[Category:Journalists from New York City]]
[[Category:James Beard Foundation Award winners]]
[[Category:Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School alumni]]