Robert Loggia Dead At 85; Oscar Nominated Actor And 'Scarface' Director Remembered
Robert Loggia, famous for his rough voice and gangster roles, has died at the age of 85 after a five-year battle with Alzheimer's, according to ABC News.
"His poor body gave up," shared Loggia's widow, Audrey. "He loved being an actor and he loved his life."
Her husband passed away at their home in Brentwood, Calif., Friday. They had been married for 33 years.
Loggia was born in 1930 and began his acting career in the 50s. Being a successful player on television, he took small roles in series' such as "Hawaii Five-O" and "The Six Million Dollar Man," reported CNN.
Due to a series of character roles in the 1980s, Loggia's career began to take off and became a sought-after supporting figure.
Loggia had a roughhewn face, gravelly voice and was solidly built, which made him fit perfectly into gangster movies. He was a Miami drug lord in 1983's "Scarface," which starred Al Pacino and a Sicilian mobster in "Prizzi's Honor."
He also played wise guys in "Lost Highways" by David Lynch, the spoofs "Armed and Dangerous" and "Innocent Blood," and on David Chase's "The Sopranos," as Michele "Feech" La Manna, a veteran mobster.
His role as detective Sam Ransom in 1985 earned him his only Academy Award nomination as supporting actor in "Jagged Edge."
In the movie "Big," Robert Loggia played the role of toy company owner. One of the film's endearing scenes was when he performed a "Chopsticks" and "Heart and Soul" duet with Tom Hanks on a giant foot-operated piano, revealed Variety.
Hanks took to Twitter to express his grief.
Farewell, Robert Loggia. A great actor in heart and soul ... A sad day. Hanx
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) December 5, 2015
Loggia appeared as well in five of comedy director Blake Edwards' films. This includes the dark comedy "S.O.B." and three "Pink Panther" movies. Also, he portrayed Joseph, Mary's husband in the biblical epic, "The Greatest Story Ever Told" by George Stevens.
In an interview in 1990, the actor was asked how he maintained such a varied career.
"I'm a character actor in that I play many different roles, and I'm virtually unrecognizable from one role to another," responded Loggia. "So I never wear out my welcome."
In 1954, Robert Loggia married Marjorie Sloan and they had three children, John, and daughters Kristina and Tracey.
The couple divorced and Loggia married Audrey O'Brien in 1982.
