Back

Telly Savalas

Born 1922-01-21

Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an American film and television actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). His other movie credits include The Young Savages (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Battle of the Bulge (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Scalphunters (1968), supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971), Inside Out (1975) and Escape to Athena (1979).

Known for

On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969 · 6.7 The Dirty Dozen 1967 · 7.7 Kelly's Heroes 1970 · 7.6 Cape Fear 1962 · 7.7 Capricorn One 1977 · 6.8 Birdman of Alcatraz 1962 · 7.8 Battle of the Bulge 1965 · 6.8 Cannonball Run II 1984 · 5.1 Horror Express 1972 · 6.5 Mackenna's Gold 1969 · 6.7 Lisa and the Devil 1973 · 6.2 The Scalphunters 1968 · 6.7 Violent City 1970 · 6.2 The Assassination Bureau 1969 · 6.4 The Young Savages 1961 · 6.9 Pretty Maids All in a Row 1971 · 6.1 Genghis Khan 1965 · 5.8 The Slender Thread 1965 · 7.0 A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die 1972 · 6.1 Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell 1968 · 6.8 Faceless 1988 · 5.8 The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission 1987 · 5.2 A Town Called Hell 1971 · 5.0 The House of Exorcism 1975 · 4.6 Sonny and Jed 1972 · 6.3 Killer Force 1976 · 5.4 Beau Geste 1966 · 6.1 Love Is a Ball 1963 · 6.0 The Marcus-Nelson Murders 1973 · 7.7 The Man from the Diners' Club 1963 · 6.1 Kojak: The Belarus File 1985 · 6.9 Kojak: The Price of Justice 1987 · 6.5 Kojak: Fatal Flaw 1989 · 6.3 Kojak: Flowers for Matty 1990 · 6.5