- George Savalas
Infobox actor
name = George Savalas
caption = The Savalas brothers (l-r): Teddy, Telly, Gus & George
birthdate =December 5 ,1924
birthplace =New York City
deathdate =October 2 ,1985
deathplace =Westwood, California George Demosthenes Savalas (
December 5 ,1924 -October 2 ,1985 ) was an Americanactor .Born in
New York City to immigrants fromGreece , he served in thePacific War as aUnited States Navy gunner. After studyingdrama atColumbia University , Savalas embarked on a successful career as a stage actor and acting instructor. He later appeared in several films, most notably "Kelly's Heroes ".He is best known for his role as Detective Stavros on the TV series "
Kojak ". He was often credited as "Demosthenes" or "George Demosthenes" to avoid confusion with his better-known older brother,Telly Savalas . In his later years, George recorded a popular Greek-language record and toured with his band, appearing at such venues asCarnegie Hall . He returned to the stage, appearing in a number ofoff-Broadway productions before illness forced him to retire. In the 1970s, he did adverts in theUnited Kingdom forWimpy Bar chain.He died of
leukemia , aged 60.External links
*imdb name|0767419|George Savalas
*tv.com person|36545|George Savalas
* [http://www.savalas.tv/ The Savalas family website]
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