The Late Great Mark Margolis

Mark Margolis, who acted in such films as Scarface (1983) and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and in such television shows as Oz and Breaking Bad, died yesterday, August 3 2023, at the age of 83.

Mark Margolis was born on November 26 1939 in Philadelphia. He became interested in acting at a young age, taking his first acting class at age 14. He attended Temple University in Philadelphia for a year before moving to New York City. There he studied acting at The Actors Studio under the legendary Stella Adler. He served as Miss Adler's personal assistant for three years. He studied acting under Stella Adler's rival, Lee Strasberg, for a year, but lost interest in acting for a time. He managed a Greenwich Village coffee house and also built theatrical artwork installations and took geodesic domes to various colleges around the United States.

Mark Margolis made his film debut in an uncredited part in The Opening of Misty Beethoven in 1976. He made his television debut the same year in the TV movie The Other Side of Victory. In the late Seventies appeared in the films Short Eyes (1977), Going in Style (1979), Dressed to Kill (1980), and You Better Watch Out (1980). He appeared on the television show Kojak.

In the Eighties Mark Margolis had a recurring role as a surveillance expert Jimmy who had formerly worked for The Company on the TV series The Equalizer. He guest starred on the TV shows ABC Afternoon Specials; Kay O'Brien; Crime Story; Quantum Leap; Mancuso, FBI; Star Trek: The Next Generation; and Jake and the Fatman. He appeared in the mini-series Doubletake. He appeared in such TV movies as Rage of Angels, Lady Mobster; and Columbo Cries Wolf. He appeared in the movies Arthur (1981), The Avenging (1982), Eddie Macon's Run(1983), Scarface (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), The Bedroom Window (1987), The Secret of My Succe$s (1987), The Rosary Murders (1987), White Hot (1988), Glory (1989), Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990), and Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990).

In the Nineties Mark Margolis had recurring roles on the soap opera Santa Barbara and the police drama Prince Street. He guest starred on the TV shows The Antagonists, P.S.I Luv U, The Guiding Light, New York Undercover, and Now and Again. He appeared in the movies The Pit and the Pendulum (1991), 1942: Conquest of Paradise (1992), Where the Rivers Flow North (1993), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994), I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), The Pallbearer (1996), Absolute Power (1997), Trouble on the Corner (1997), Pi (1998), Pants on Fire (1998), Side Streets (1998), Above Freezing (1998), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), Jakob the Liar (1999), End of Days (1999), Flawless (1999), Requiem for a Dream (2000), Fast Food Fast Women (2000), and Dinner Rush (2000).

In the Naughts Mark Margolis had recurring roles on the TV shows Hack and Oz. He was a regular on the short-lived show Waterfront. He guest starred on the shows Law & Order, 100 Centre Street, The Practice, Ed, Sex and the City, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Crossing Jordan, Brotherhood, The Black Donnellys, Californication, and Kings. He appeared in the movies Hannibal (2001), The Tailor of Panama (2001), Queenie in Love (2001), Hard Ball (2001), Bridget (2002), Infested (2002), Daredevil (2003), Particles of Truth (2003), 2BPerfectlyHonest (2004), Headspace (2005), Stay (2005), The Fountain (2006), Still Life (2006), The Girl Next Door (2007), Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Wrestler (2008), Defiance (2008), Nobody (2009), The Fallen Faithful (2010), and Black Swan (2010).

From the late Naughts into the Teens, Mark Margolis had the recurring role of  Hector Salamanca, a retired member of the Juarez Cartel left unable to communicate due to a stroke, on the TV show Breaking Bad. He reprised the role Hector (before he had his stroke) on Better Call Saul. He also had recurring roles on the shows Blue Bloods, Person of Interest, American Horror Story, and The Affair. He guest starred on the shows The Good Wife, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Fairly Legal, Zero Hour, Flipsters, Taxi Brooklyn, Constantine, Elementary, 12 Monkeys, Benders, Gotham, The Blacklist, and Snowpiercer. He appeared in the mini-series Mildred Pierce. He appeared in the movies Carla (2011), Immortals (2011), The Courier (2012), Stand Up Guy (2012), Northern Borders (2013), Beneath (2013), Nasty Baby (2015), The Confines (2015), You Bury Your Own (2015), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), A Remarkable Life (2016), One Fall (2016), Valley of Bones (2017), Baja (2018), Abe (2019), and Minyan (2020). He was the voice of Magog in the movie Noah (2014).

In the 2020s he had a regular role on the TV series Your Honor. He continued to appear on Better Call Saul. He guest starred on the TV show Prodigal Son. He appeared in the movie Broken Soldier (2022).

Mark Margolis was an incredible actor. He was certainly prolific. He appeared in six of Darren Aronofsky's movies alone (in a 2012 interview he joked that he thought Mr. Aronofsky "...thinks he has an obligation!"). Not only did he play many roles, but those roles were also varied. On television he was Jimmy on The Equalizer, Hector Salamanca on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and Sicilian leader Antonio Nappa on Oz. His film roles were varied too. In Pi he played mathematics expert and the protagonist's mentor Sol Robeson. In another Aronofsky film he played a priest, Father Avila. He was Ace's sinister sounding landlord Mr. Shickadance in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Over the years Mark Margolis played criminals, spies, police officers, and even a fallen angel (Magog in Noah). What is more, he played all of his roles well. If Mark Margolis was so prolific, it was because he was just so talented.