Date of Birth

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Mini Biography

One of Hollywood's finest character / method actors, Eli Wallach has been in demand for over fifty years on stage and screen and has worked alongside the biggest stars including Clark Gable, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe, Yul Brynner, Peter O'Toole, and Al Pacino, to name but a few.

Wallach was born on 7 December 1915 in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents, and subsequently became one of the few Jewish kids growing up in an Italian neighborhood. He went on to graduate with a B.A. from the University of Texas in Austin, but gained his dramatic training with the Actors Studio and the Neighbourhood Playhouse. He made his debut on Broadway in 1945, and won a Tony Award in 1951 for portraying "Alvaro Mangiaco" in the Tennessee Williams play "The Rose Tattoo".

Eli made a strong screen debut in 1956 in the film production of the Tennessee William's play Baby Doll (1956), then shone in the film noir The Lineup (1958), and co-starred in the heist film Seven Thieves (1960). Director John Sturges then cast Wallach as the vicious Mexican bandit "Calvera" in The Magnificent Seven (1960), the western adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa epic _Schichinin no Samurai (1954)_ . By all reports, Wallach could not ride a horse prior to making "TMS", however with expert tutelage from the Mexican stunt riders, he made it look easy! He next appeared in the superb The Misfits (1961), in the star spangled western opus How the West Was Won (1962), the under rated WW2 film The Victors (1963), as a kidnapper in The Moon-Spinners (1964), in the sea epic Lord Jim (1965), and in the romantic comedy How to Steal a Million (1966).

Looking for a third lead actor in the final episode of the "Dollars Trilogy", Italian director Sergio Leone then cast the versatile Wallach as the lying, two-faced, money hungry (but somehow lovable) bandit "Tuco" in the spectacular Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) (aka "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"), arguably his most memorable performance.

He kept busy throughout the remainder of the 60s and into the 70s with good roles in Mackenna's Gold (1969), Cinderella Liberty (1973), Crazy Joe (1974), The Deep (1977) and as Steve McQueen bail buddy in The Hunter (1980).

The 1980s was an interesting period for Wallach as he then became regularly cast as an aging doctor, a mafia figure or an over-the-hill hit man, such as in _Executioner's Song, The (1982)_ , "Our Family Honor" (1985), Tough Guys (1986), Nuts (1987), The Two Jakes (1990) and as the candy addicted "Don Altabello" in The Godfather: Part III (1990). At 75+ years of age, Wallach's quality of work was still first class and into the 1990s and beyond, he has remained in demand. He lent fine support to Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride (1991) (TV), Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story (1992) (TV), Naked City: Justice with a Bullet (1998) (TV) and Keeping the Faith (2000). Most recently Wallach showed up as a fast talking liquor store owner in Mystic River (2003) and in the comedic drama King of the Corner (2004).

In early 2005, Eli Wallach released his much anticipated autobiography, "The Good, The Bad And Me: In My Anecdotage", a wonderfully enjoyable read from one of the screen's most inventive and enduring actors.

Spouse

Trivia

Graduated from The University of Texas at Austin - BA '36.

Was almost killed during the train scene in Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966). He was asked by Sergio Leone to do the scene again, and he then replied: "I'll never do that again!"

Turned down the role in From Here to Eternity (1953) that won Frank Sinatra an Oscar.

Was trained at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.

One of three actors to play the character of Mr. Freeze on "Batman" (1966). (The other two were George Sanders and Otto Preminger). He once said that he has received more fan mail for that role than for any other role he has ever done.

Father of Peter Wallach, Katherine Wallach and Roberta Wallach.

Was named as "King of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival in 1998. His wife Anne Jackson was named "Queen of Brooklyn" at the same festival.

His performance as Alvaro Mangiacavallo in "The Rose Tattoo" opposite Maureen Stapleton as Serafina won him a Theare World Award and the 1951 Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Was credited with his first Broadway appearance in Harry Kleiner's "Skydrift" in 1945, the play in which Rita Moreno made her Broadway debut. The play closed after seven performances. Also appeared as a soothsayer in Katharine Cornell's 1947 production of William Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra." Other cast members in minor roles included Charlton Heston, Maureen Stapleton and Joseph Wiseman. Among the other Broadway plays he has appeared in are "Mr. Roberts," "The Rose Tattoo," "Camino Real," "The Teahouse of the August Moon," "Rhinoceros" and "Luv.".

Appeared with Steve McQueen in both his first major successful film (The Magnificent Seven (1960)) and his last ever film (The Hunter (1980)).

He is perhaps best known for his role as the lead bandit Calvera in The Magnificent Seven (1960). Although his character is eventually defeated in the film, he has outlived six of the seven stars, as Robert Vaughn is the only one who is still alive as of 2006, despite the fact that he is older than all of them except for Yul Brynner.

He, his wife Anne Jackson and their daughter, Roberta Wallach, have all made guest appearances in "Law & Order" (1990) in different episodes.

In the "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) episode "A Good Year for Murder", he played a dying man, Salatore Gambini, who committed a murder because he had nothing to lose. In the "Law & Order" (1990) episode "The Working Stiff", he played a character, Simon Vilanis, who was suspected of committing a murder for the same reason although he ultimately proved to be innocent.

Appeared with Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable in their final completed films: The Hunter (1980) and The Misfits (1961) (for both Monroe and Gable) respectively.

Has a brother and two sisters, all of whom became teachers.

He served for five years in the Army's Medical Administrative Corps during World War II, eventually attaining the rank of captain.

He has three grandsons.

There was no official theater department at the University of Texas when he attended, so he joined a student organization called The Curtain Club to put on plays. One of the other students involved was future Governor of Texas John Connally.

In 1966, he starred in "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" with Clint Eastwood. Thirty-seven years later, Eastwood directed Wallach in "Mystic River.".

Is blind in the left eye due to a stroke.

While attending The University of Texas he acted in many student plays and in one he costarred with Walter Cronkite.

He has had two hip replacements and has arthritis in his back.

One of his fellow students at Parsons New School for Social Research in New York was Marlon Brando.

Turned down the lead role of Harry Berlin in Luv (1967) that was eventually played by Jack Lemmon.

Salary

Eli Wallach

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