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Abe Vigoda

Abe Vigoda

Actor · Died January 26, 2016, aged 94 · New York City, New York, USA

Tall, dour-faced and slouch-shouldered character actor Abraham Charles Vigoda (February 24, 1921 – January 26, 2016) proved himself in both gritty dramatic roles, and as an actor with wonderful comedic timing. Vigoda was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Lena (Moses) and Samuel Vigoda, both Russian Jewish immigrants. His father was a tailor on the Lower East Side. He made his first stage appearance at the age of 17 and plodded away in small theater shows for over 20 years. For the majority of film-goers, Vigoda first came to prominence in The Godfather (1972) as the double-crossing Tessio, pleading with Robert Duvall to get him off the hook "for old times' sake." He also appeared in its sequel. Vigoda had roles in a few nondescript TV films before landing the plum part of Sgt. Phil Fish on the brilliant sitcom Barney Miller (1974). Perhaps his best known role, Sgt. Fish proved popular enough to be spun off to his own (short-lived) series Fish (1977). With his long face and unusual looks, Vigoda remained in high demand in mafioso-type roles, and for a while in the mid-1980s, he was mistakenly believed to have been dead, leading producers to remark, "I need an Abe Vigoda type actor," not realizing Vigoda was still alive and well. The 1990s and beyond became busy again for him, with appearances in North (1994), The Misery Brothers (1995), A Brooklyn State of Mind (1998), and Crime Spree (2003). He continued acting into his 90s, surprising audiences with his entertaining style. Abe Vigoda died in his sleep on January 26, 2016 in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 24, 1921
Died
January 26, 2016 (aged 94)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
50 on MovieCove · 92 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

What are Abe Vigoda's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
32%
Bonds
28%
Self
15%
Society
13%
Power
5%
Ideas
3%
Survival
3%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 4 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 7 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0

Easy watch: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their easy watch movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 7 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 7
Trickster
2 of 7
Threshold guardian
2 of 7
Mentor
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Warm
5
Joyful
4
Absurd
5
Romantic
5
Other
17

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Abe Vigoda's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 50 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Abe Vigoda's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

92 credits, 50 with a MovieCove page; 12 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)

  • Cutaways (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • The Unknown Trilogy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Uncle Morty (segment "Frankie the Squirrel")

  • Farce of the Penguins(2006)

    as Penguin from Boca (voice)

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Crime Spree(2003)

    as Angelo Giancarlo

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Tea Cakes or Cannoli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Deadline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Joseph Spiaggio

  • Chump Change (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as The Frog

  • The Norm Show(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Family Guy(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Abe Vigoda (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Witness to the Mob(1998)

    as Paul Castellano

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Just the Ticket(1998)

    as Arty

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • A Brooklyn State of Mind(1998)

    as Uncle Guy

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Good Burger(1997)

    as Otis

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Farticus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Zeus

  • A Christmas Journey Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Grandpa

  • Promised Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Underworld(1996)

    as Will Cassady

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Love Is All There Is(1996)

    as Rudy

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Jury Duty(1995)

    as Judge Powell

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • The Misery Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Don Frito Layleone

  • Touched by an Angel(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Receptionist Angel

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • North(1994)

    as Alaskan Grandpa

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Weird Science(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Sugar Hill(1994)

    as Gus Molino

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Home of Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Actor

  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm(1993)

    as Salvatore Valestra (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Diagnosis Murder(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Alfredo Bartolo / Al Bartell / Mr. Johnson

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Me and the Kid(1993)

    as Pawn Broker

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Fist of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Victor Malucci

  • The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio

  • Mad About You(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Kalman Wertzel

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Lucky Luke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Rinehart

  • The Adventures of the Black Stallion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Detective Landis

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Wings(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Joe Versus the Volcano(1990)

    as Chief of the Waponis

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Keaton's Cop(1990)

    as Louis Keaton

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Prancer(1989)

    as Orel Benton

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Look Who's Talking(1989)

    as Grandpa

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • B.L. Stryker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Clayton Baskin

  • Monsters(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Dolan

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Superboy(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Plain Clothes(1988)

    as Mr. Wiseman

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Abe

  • MacGyver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Bill Cody

  • The Stuff(1985)

    as Stuff Commercial Spokesman

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as George

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Tales from the Darkside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Jake Corelli

  • Cannonball Run II(1984)

    as Caesar

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Big Stuffed Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Carnival Pitchman

  • Harper Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Gridlock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Herb

  • The Littlest Hobo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Death Car on the Freeway(1979)

    as Mr. Frisch

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • B. J. and the Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Supertrain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Ray Yellburton

  • $weepstake$ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Anthony

  • How to Pick Up Girls!(1978)

    as Nathan Perlmutter

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Vega$ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Comedy Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Jake

  • The Cheap Detective(1978)

    as Sergeant Rizzuto

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 4 episodes · as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (uncredited)

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie Fletcher

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Eight Is Enough(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Fish (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 35 episodes · as Phil Fish

  • Having Babies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Al Schneider

  • The Bionic Woman(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Barney Miller(1975)

    Show 58 episodes · as Det. Phil Fish · as Det. Phil Fish (uncredited) · as Philip Fish

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Godfather Part II(1974)

    as Salvatore 'Sal' Tessio

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Rockford Files(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Al Dancer · as Phil 'The Dancer' Gabriel

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Newman's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as John Dellanzia

  • The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd(1974)

    as Dominic Morrell

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Tattletales(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • The Don Is Dead(1973)

    as Don Talusso

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Kojak(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Kilty

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • Toma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Toma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Donzer

  • The Devil's Daughter(1973)

    as Alikhine

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Sandy Duncan Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Godfather(1972)

    as Sal Tessio

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Cannon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Couzellous

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mr. Burdick (uncredited)

  • Hawaii Five-O(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Abe Kemper

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Mannix(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Anton Valine

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Dark Shadows(1966)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Three Rooms in Manhattan(1965)

    as Waiter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Buck Rogers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Suspense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Old Train Passenger

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 93 titles from 1948 to 2016; peak year 1993.

Biggest box office

Look Who's Talking (1989)

$297M worldwide

Highest rated

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Barney Miller (1975)

Film career

19482016

Peak 1993 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1965Screen debut· Three Rooms in Manhattan

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting93 of 93: 93 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score48th

By decade

1940s2 · acting1950s1 · acting1960s5 · acting1970s30 · acting1980s15 · acting1990s31 · acting2000s7 · acting2010s2 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 0% of 19 roles
658090

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Abe Vigoda's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 40th percentile, the median of all 29; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 50 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th17
  • Below 25th11

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 50 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed21

Most divisive · actor

Farce of the Penguins (2006)

83rd percentile spread · 52% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Godfather (1972)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Abe Vigoda's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 28 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles14–42 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 26 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 24 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Abe Vigoda work with?

People who share at least 2 of Abe Vigoda's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Costanzo shares the most, 2.

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors