Alex Rocco (1936-2015)

[Zoneboy]

Link


Alex Rocco, a longtime character actor has died at the age of 79, according to the examiner.com. His death was first reported by his daughter on her facebook page. One of his best known roles would be as casino owner Moe Greene in “The Godfather” who had the famous line, “Do you know who I am”? He appeared in many films including “Freebie and the Bean, “Cannonball Run II”, and “Dream a Little Dream” (1989), which was directed by his son Marc Rocco who passed away in 2009. He also appeared in such popular movies as “Get Shorty” in 1995 and in “That Thing You Do” in 1996. Rocco also had a prolific career on television. He appeared on numerous shows, including as Jo’s father on “The Facts of Life” and as the executive who produced the classic Itchy and Scratchy cartoons on “The Simpsons.” Rocco’s most recent appearances were on the TV shows “Episodes” last year and “Maron” earlier this year. At the time of his passing, he was set to appear in the horror movie “The Other.” Alex Rocco was born Alexander Federico Petricone in Cambridge Massachusetts. He moved to California and started out working as a bartender, and began taking acting classes with such teachers as Leonard Nimoy and noted acting teacher Jeff Corey. -

[caladon]

He was one of the best character actors to ever step in front of a camera.

R.I.P. Mr. Rocco

[Heidi Dawn]

Alex Rocco

I'm not sure if this was ever mentioned in the FOL thread, but Claire Malis (she played Jo's mother) passed away back in 2012 at the age of 69 (born in 1943).

[Mr. Television]

Very sad. I always liked him.

[BigManMike]

Originally Posted by Heidi Dawn

Alex Rocco

I'm not sure if this was ever mentioned in the FOL thread, but Claire Malis (she played Jo's mother) passed away back in 2012 at the age of 69 (born in 1943).

Yes I remember that. May they both rest in peace.

[simmytbone]

He also had recurring roles on other shows including a Special Guest Starring Role on abc's “Starsky and Hutch” in a 2 part episode entitled "The Plague" as Thomas Callendar and he also Co-Starred in“The Famous Teddy Z” with Jon Cryer and Jane Sibbett of Herman's Head and Friends

God Bless You Mr. Rocco, May You R.I.P. and Thank You for all the laughs and the memories that you gave us

Here's a promo to "The Famous Teddy Z" and see how REALLY Funny Alex Rocco Was

[Marvo301]

Alex Rocco

[jayman75]

Quite an actor... Both in film and television.

His daughter is posting photos and tributes on her Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer.Real.Rocco

[80schild.com]

His episodes were some of the best from the series. Himself and Nancy Mckeon had very good chemistry together. the scene where she visits him at the jail was quite powerful. Nancy said during the 2014 reunion she always asked for him to play her father or uncle in previous roles - because they worked so well together...

[Cynthia12]

I Hope that they do a tribute to him when they show facts of life on logo tv here in NY.I agree that he and Nancy Mckeon had wonderful chemistry.
I thought.

[jayman75]

I went to read his bio in The Facts Of Life Online page of SOL, and noticed there was a lot of outdated information for our stars. I wonder how we can update the info.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by simmytbone

He also had recurring roles on other shows including a Special Guest Starring Role on abc's “Starsky and Hutch” in a 2 part episode entitled "The Plague" as Thomas Callendar and he also Co-Starred in“The Famous Teddy Z” with Jon Cryer and Jane Sibbett of Herman's Head and Friends

God Bless You Mr. Rocco, May You R.I.P. and Thank You for all the laughs and the memories that you gave us

Here's a promo to "The Famous Teddy Z" and see how REALLY Funny Alex Rocco Was

Jon Cryer Remembers Alex Rocco: ‘A Deeply Good-Hearted Guy’

On the heels of his breakout role in “Pretty in Pink,” Jon Cryer landed his first sitcom — the inside-showbiz CBS comedy “The Famous Teddy Z” that co-starred Alex Rocco.

Rocco, who died Saturday at the age of 79, cited “Teddy Z” as the “most fun” he ever had in his long career, according to Rocco’s family. Rocco played stressed-out talent agent Al Floss, who clashed with the agency’s mailroom wunderkind Teddy Zakalokis, played by Cryer.

“Teddy Z” only lasted one season in 1989-90 — its final five episodes never saw the light of day until Comedy Central ran the entire series in 1993. But Rocco earned an Emmy for his performance, and made a lifelong friend of Cryer.

On Sunday, Cryer remembered his co-star as “an actor possessed of enormous gifts” with a big heart and infectious spirit.

“I had seen a report of his passing on social media and spent the whole morning hoping it was some kind of mistake,” Cryer said. “If there was ever someone in your life you referred to as ‘just a teddy bear,’ Alex Rocco had them beat tenfold. A deeply good-hearted guy, hilarious to be around and an actor possessed of enormous gifts, Alex Rocco will be terribly missed. Anyone who’s ever had him in their lives in any respect will know what I’m talking about.”‎

“Teddy Z” was ahead of its time as a comedy in the vein of “Entourage” or “Episodes” that skewered showbiz with plenty of inside jokes per episode.

Cryer’s character of Teddy Zakalokis was a recently discharged Army vet who winds up working in the mailroom at Unlimited Talent Agency (the show aired a few years before there was a real-life UTA talent agency in Hollywood) in order to avoid the pressure to join his family’s bakery business. Zakalokis stands in contrast to the career-climbing college grads in the mailroom, which in a roundabout way helps him become a hot-shot agent when his attitude impresses a Marlon Brando-esque mega star.

“Teddy Z” was created by “WKRP in Cincinnati’s Hugh Wilson. Variety’s review raised the question of whether “its reliance on inside showbiz gags will be nixed in the sticks.” The review praised the uniformly strong cast and described Rocco’s character as “a walking heart attack of an agent.”

Cryer’s then-manager Martin Tudor milked the attention that the series generated in the industry by running a full-page ad in Variety. It featured a picture of Cryer in character under the headline “Now You Can Meet Hollywood’s Hottest New Agent Without Lunching at the Palm.”

“Teddy Z” started its rocky run on CBS in the Monday 9:30 p.m. time slot, the same berth where Cryer would enjoy considerably more ratings success nearly 15 years later with the debut of “Two and a Half Men.”