Oscar Actors: Loggia, Robert–Background, Career, Awards (Cum Advantage, Oscar Nom “Jagged Edge”) 2 Emmy Noms)

Salvatore “Robert” Loggia (January 3, 1930 – December 4, 2015) American actor nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Jagged Edge (1985).

He won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for Big (1988).

In a career spanning 60 years, Loggia performed in many films, including The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), three Pink Panther films, An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Scarface (1983), Prizzi’s Honor (1985), Oliver & Company (1988), Innocent Blood (1992), Independence Day (1996), Lost Highway (1997), Return to Me (2000), and Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie (2012).

He also appeared on TV series, the Walt Disney limited series, The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca (starring role-1958), Mancuso, FBI (in which he starred-1989–1990), Malcolm in the Middle (2001), The Sopranos (2004), Men of a Certain Age (2011), and was the star of the 1966–67 NBC martial arts- action series, T.H.E. Cat.

Loggia was born in Staten Island, New York, on January 3, 1930, to Biagio Loggia, shoemaker born in Palma di Montechiaro, Province of Agrigento, Sicily, and Elena Blandino, homemaker born in Vittoria, Province of Ragusa, Sicily.

He grew up in the Little Italy neighborhood, where the family spoke Italian at home. He graduated from New Dorp High School before taking courses at Wagner College where he joined the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. In 1951, he earned a degree in journalism from University of Missouri. He studied acting with Alvina Krause at Northwestern University.

After serving in the US Army as reporter for the Armed Forces Radio and TV Service in the Caribbean, he married Marjorie Sloan in 1954 and began long career at the Actors Studio, studying under Stella Adler.

At age 25, he made his debut on Broadway in The Man with the Golden Arm in 1955.

Although Loggia made his first film, Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), in an uncredited appearance, it was not until he was cast as a New Mexico lawman Elfego Baca, two years later, that he made a breakthrough in Hollywood. Loggia was a radio and TV anchor on the Southern Command Network in the Panama Canal Zone, and he came to prominence playing a real-life sheriff in The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, a series of Walt Disney TV shows.

He later starred as the proverbial cat-burglar-turned-good circus artist Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat in a short-lived detective series called T.H.E. Cat, first broadcast in 1966. At first, T.H.E. Cat appeared to be a success, Loggia said: “We’re drawing about a 30 per cent share of the audience, which NBC considers fine for a new show with a new star.”[9] After NBC cancelled the series when viewing figures failed to deliver, Loggia went into a mid-life crisis—a “Dante-esque descent into the inferno”, as he called it later. For six years his career foundered, and his marriage fell apart. Restless and unnerved, constantly riddled with self-doubt, a chance meeting with Audrey O’Brien was his saving grace. She helped him out of the crisis, and they later married. Despite playing Frank Carver on the CBS soap opera The Secret Storm[10] in 1972, he took a new course when he decided to begin a career in directing.

He also carried on acting and amassed many television credits in a variety of roles, including appearances on Overland Trail, Target: The Corruptors!, The Untouchables, The Eleventh Hour, Breaking Point, Combat!, Custer, Columbo, Ellery Queen, The High Chaparral, Gunsmoke, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, Rawhide, Little House on the Prairie, The Rockford Files, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, Magnum, P.I., Quincy, M.E., Kojak, Hawaii Five-0, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Falcon Crest, Frasier, The Sopranos, Monk, and Oliver Stone’s miniseries Wild Palms.

Director Blake Edwards often cast Loggia in his films minor or supporting roles: Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) and other Pink Panther sequels, and S.O.B. (1981), a satire about Hollywood.

In 1983, Loggia played Frank Lopez, drug dealer, one of main supporting characters and antagonists in Scarface, a Hollywood classic film.

Loggia also acted in acclaimed films, An Officer and Gentleman (1982), Prizzi’s Honor (1985), Independence Day (1996). Other films include Over The Top (1987), Necessary Roughness (1991), Return to Me (2000).

My Oscar Book:

Loggia was nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his crusty private detective Sam Ransom in crime thriller Jagged Edge (1985).

Emmy Nomination

He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, his first such honor, for portraying FBI agent Nick Mancuso in the TV series Mancuso, FBI (1989–1990), a follow-up to the previous year’s miniseries Favorite Son (1988). Loggia appeared as a mobster in multiple films, including Bill Sykes, the immoral loanshark and shipyard agent in Disney’s animated film Oliver & Company (1988), Salvatore “The Shark” Macelli in John Landis’ Innocent Blood (1992), Mr. Eddy in David Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997), and Don Vito Leoni in David Jablin’s The Don’s Analyst (1997). He played violent mobster Feech La Manna in several episodes of The Sopranos.

Emmy Nomination

In 1998, Loggia appeared in TV commercial lampooning obscure celebrity endorsements. A young boy names Loggia as someone he would trust to recommend Minute Maid orange-tangerine blend. Loggia appears and endorses the drink, to which the boy exclaims, “Whoa, Robert Loggia!” The commercial was later referenced in Malcolm in the Middle episode in which Loggia made guest appearance as “Grandpa Victor” (for which he received his second Emmy nomination); Loggia drinks orange juice, then spits it out and complains about the pulp.

He voiced Sykes in Disney’s Oliver & Company, and also Admiral Petrarch in the computer game FreeSpace 2 (1999) and the anime The Dog of Flanders (1997), crooked cop Ray Machowski in video game Grand Theft Auto III (2001), and recurring role on the Adult Swim animated TV comedy series Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004–2006).

In 2009, Loggia appeared in one of Apple’s Get a Mac ads, as personal trainer hired by PC to get him back on top of his game.

Loggia also appeared in 2 episodes of the animated series Family Guy as himself; in the episode “Brothers and Sisters”, after Mayor West tells his fiancé Carol he has “aides” (which Carol mistakes for AIDS), before he clarifies he is referring to assistants; West then remarks that they both have AIDS, and the scene cuts to Loggia, angrily responding “NOT OKAY!”.

In the episode “Call Girl,” he is seen twice denoting the passage of time in boring events. The script cut away to Loggia saying “Eight f***ing hours later”, then back to the story.

In 2012, Loggia portrayed Saint Peter in his final imprisonment in The Apostle Peter and the Last Supper. Loggia partnered with Canadian entrepreneur Frank D’Angelo from 2013, appearing in three films (Real Gangsters, The Big Fat Stone, and No Depo$it), with fourth film in production (Sicilian Vampire) at the time of Loggia’s death.

Loggia served as a director for episodes of Quincy M.E., Magnum, P.I., and Hart to Hart.

Loggia reprised his role from Independence Day, General William Grey, in cameo alongside his wife, Audrey, in the 2016 sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, shortly before his death.

The film was released posthumously and dedicated to him.

Loggia was married to Marjorie Sloan from 1954 to 1981, with whom he had three children. Loggia and Sloan were divorced in 1981. In 1982, Loggia married Audrey O’Brien, a business exec and mother of his stepdaughter Cynthia Marlette.

Loggia and O’Brien remained married until his death in 2015.

In 2010, Loggia was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He died on December 4, 2015, due to complications from the disease, at home in the Brentwood of Los Angeles, at age of 85.

In 2010, Loggia was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his humanitarian efforts.

On December 17, 2011, Loggia was honored by his alma mater, the University of Missouri, with honorary degree for his career and humanitarian efforts.

Filmography

1956 Somebody Up There Likes Me Frankie Peppo Uncredited
1957 The Garment Jungle Tulio Renata
1958 Cop Hater Detective Steve Carella
The Lost Missile Dr. David Loring
1963 Cattle King Johnny Quatro
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Joseph
1966 The Three Sisters Solyony
Elfego Baca: Six Gun Law Elfego Baca
1969 Che! Faustino Morales
1974 Two Missionaries Marches Gonzaga
Credited as Roberto Loggia.
1977 Speedtrap Spillano
First Love John March
1978 Revenge of the Pink Panther Al Marchione
1980 The Ninth Configuration Lieutenant John Bennish
Flatfoot in Egypt Edward Burns
1981 S.O.B. Herb Maskowitz
1982 An Officer and a Gentleman Byron Mayo [20]
Trail of the Pink Panther Bruno Langois
1983 Psycho II Dr. Bill Raymond
Curse of the Pink Panther Bruno Langois
Scarface Frank Lopez
1985 Prizzi’s Honor Eduardo Prizzi
Jagged Edge Sam Ransom
1986 Armed and Dangerous Michael Carlino
That’s Life! Father Baragone
1987 Over the Top Jason Cutler
Hot Pursuit ‘Mac’ MacClaren
The Believers Lieutenant Sean McTaggert
Gaby: A True Story Michel Brimmer
Amazon Women on the Moon General McCormick Uncredited
Segment “The Unknown Soldier”
1988 Big Mr. Freddie MacMillan
Oliver & Company Sykes
Voice
1989 Relentless Bill Malloy
Triumph of the Spirit Father Arouch
1990 Opportunity Knocks Milt Malkin
1991 The Marrying Man Lew Horner [21]
Necessary Roughness Coach Wally Rig
1992 Gladiator Jack ‘Pappy Jack’
Innocent Blood Sallie ‘The Shark’ Macelli
Spies Inc. Mac
1993 Lifepod Director Banks
1994 Bad Girls Frank Jarrett
The Last Tattoo Commander Conrad Dart
I Love Trouble Matt Greenfield
1995 Coldblooded Gordon
Man with a Gun Philip Marquand
1996 Independence Day General William Grey
1997 Lost Highway Dick Laurent / Mr. Eddy
Smilla’s Sense of Snow Moritz Jasperson
The Dog of Flanders Grandpa Jehan English dub
The Don’s Analyst Don Vito Leoni
1998 Wide Awake Grandpa Beal
The Proposition Hannibal Thurman
Holy Man John McBainbridge
Hard Time Connie Martin
1999 The Suburbans Jules
Flypaper Marvin
American Virgin Ronny
2000 Return to Me Angelo Pardipillo
2001 Dodson’s Journey Opti Dodson
The Shipment Frank Colucci
All Over Again Zack
2005 The Deal Jared Tolson
2006 Funny Money Feldman
Rain Jake Marvin
Forget About It Carl Campobasso
Wild Seven Mackey Willis
2008 The Boneyard Collection
The Least Of These Father William Jennings
2009 Shrink Dr. Robert Carter
2010 Harvest ‘Siv’
Obituary of the Sun Samuel Levine
2011 Fake Seamus White
The Grand Theft General McAvoy
The Great Fight Dr. Salvatore Reno
The Life Zone John Lation / Satan
2012 Apostle Peter and the Last Supper Apostle Peter
Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie Tommy Schlaaang
The Diary of Preston Plummer John Percy
Margarine Wars Grandpa Griswold
2013 Real Gangsters Gaitanno ‘Tanno’
2014 Snapshot Paul Grady
Scavenger Killers Dr. Montgomery
An Evergreen Christmas Pops
The Big Fat Stone Father Walter
2015 Bleeding Hearts Sheriff Wilson
No Deposit Sydney Fischer
Sicilian Vampire Santino Trafficante Sr.
2016 Independence Day: Resurgence General William Grey Cameol Posthumous release
The Red Maple Leaf Patrick Adams Senior; Posthumous release
2017 Cries of the Unborn Mr. Eric Lation Posthumous release
2019 The Savant Dr. Salvatore Reno Posthumous release

TV

1958 Rumors of Evening Major Woulman Playhouse 90, Season 2, Episode 32
1958 The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca Elfego Baca 10 episodes
1959 Wagon Train Jose Maria Moran Episode: “The Jose Maria Moran Story”
1959 Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond Tom Grant Episode: “The Hand”
1962 The Untouchables Leo Mencken Episode: “Takeover”
December 2, 1961 The Defenders Joe Manson Episode: “Perjury”
1963 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Driver Episode: “You’ll Be the Death of Me”
1965 Combat! Etienne Episode: “The Tree of Moray”
1965 Gunsmoke Lieutenant Cal Tripp Episode: “Chief Joseph”
1965 The Wild Wild West Warren Trevor Episode: “The Night of Sudden Death”
1966–1967 T.H.E. Cat Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat 26 episodes
1968 The Big Valley Vern Hickson Episode: “The Profit and the Lost”
1968 The High Chaparral Chio Episode: “The Deceivers”
1974, 1976 Cannon Multiple 2 episodes
1974 Mannix Inspector Varga Episode: “Bird of Prey”
1975 Starsky & Hutch Ben Forest Episode: “The Fix”
1975 S.W.A.T. Joe Stevens Episode: “Hit Men”
1976 Columbo Harry Episode: “Now You See Me”
1976 The Moneychangers Tony ‘Tony Bear’ 2 episodes
1976 The Rockford Files Dominic Marcon Episode: “Drought at Indianhead River”
1976 Wonder Woman Hans Eichler Episode: “Wonder Woman vs Gargantua”
1976 Street Killing Louis Spillane
1976 The Six Million Dollar Man Mahmud Majid Episode: “The Thunderbird Connection”

1977 The Rockford Files Manny Arturis Episode: “Beamer’s Last Case”
1977 Raid on Entebbe Yigal Allon
Television film
1977 The Six Million Dollar Man Hendricks Episode: “Rollback”
1977 The Bionic Woman Ali Ben Gazim Episode: “Jaime and the King”
TV film
1978 The Rockford Files Russell Nevitt Episode: “Rosendahl and Gilda Stern Are Dead”
1979 Hawaii Five-O Russ Hendrix Episode: “The Execution File”
1980, 1986 Magnum, P.I. Philippe Trusseau 3 episodes
1981 Fantasy Island Porter Brockhill Episode: “The Heroine/The Warrior”
1982 A Woman Called Golda Anwar Sadat TV miniseries
1982 Little House on the Prairie Thomas Stark Episode: “Rage”
1983–1984 Emerald Point N.A.S. Yuri Bukharin 16 episodes
1984 Murder, She Wrote Joe Kellijian Episode “Death Casts a Spell”
1987 Echoes in the Darkness Jay Smith 2 episodes
1987 Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 William Kunstler Television film
1988 Favorite Son Nick Mancuso Episode: “Part One”
1989–1990 Mancuso, F.B.I. Nick Mancuso 20 episodes
1991 Sunday Dinner Ben Benedict 6 episodes
1993 Wild Palms Senator Anton Kreutzer 5 episodes
1993 Mercy Mission: the Rescue of Flight 771 Gordon Vette Television film
1994 Picture Windows Merce Episode: “Armed Response”
1996 The Right to Remain Silent Lieutenant Mike Brosloe Television film
1996 Mistrial Captain Lou Unger Television film
1999 Joan of Arc Father Monet 2 episodes
2000 Dharma & Greg General Kirby Episode: “Hell No, Greg Can’t Go”
2000 Malcolm in the Middle Victor Episode: “The Grandparents”
2000 Frasier Stefano Episode: “The Three Faces of Frasier”
2000 The Outer Limits Justice Earl Clayton Episode: “Final Appeal”
2000 Touched by an Angel Chandler Crowne Episode: “Restoration”
2003 Queens Supreme Judge Thomas O’Neill 13 episodes
2004 The Sopranos Feech La Manna 4 episodes
2006 Tom Goes to the Mayor Lew Petersen (voice) Episode: “Saxman”
2008 Monk Louie Flynn Episode: “Mr. Monk Takes a Punch”
2010 Hawaii Five-0 Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Ed McKay Episode: “Ho’apano”
2010–2011 Men of a Certain Age Artie 3 episodes
2011, 2013 Family Guy Himself (live-action cameo) 2 episodes
Video games
Year Title Roles Notes
1999 Freespace 2 Admiral Petrarch
2001 Grand Theft Auto III Ray Machowski
2006 Scarface: The World Is Yours Frank Lopez, Narrator, Civilian

Awards and nominations

1985 Academy Award Best Supporting Actor Jagged Edge Nominated
1988 Cable ACE Award Best Actor in a Theatrical or Dramatic Special Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 Nominated
1988 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor Big Won [26]
1990 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Mancuso, F.B.I. Nominated
1992 Fangoria Chainsaw Award Best Actor Innocent Blood Nominated
2001 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Malcolm in the Middle Nominated