Vic Tayback
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Victor Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as diner owner Mel Sharples in the comedy-drama film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and the television sitcom Alice (1976–1985), for which he won two consecutive Golden Globes. Early life Tayback was born on January 6, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, to Syrian Catholic immigrant parents Helen (née Hanood; Arabic: هيلين هنود تايباك) and Najeeb James Tayback (Arabic: نجيب جيمس طيبك) . Both of his parents had emigrated to the United States from Aleppo. He moved with his family to Burbank, California during his teenage years and attended Burbank High School, from which he graduated in 1948. He also attended Glendale Community College and the Frederick A. Speare School of Radio and TV Broadcasting. Career Tayback served in the United States Navy before beginning his acting career at the age of 25. A lifetime member of the Actors Studio, he was a familiar face on television in the 1960s and 1970s, appearing on numerous series, including The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, Bonanza, Here Come the Brides, That Girl, Gunsmoke, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Partridge Family, All in the Family, Fantasy Island, Columbo, Bewitched and The Love Boat. He also appeared in many films such as Bullitt (1968), Papillon (1973), The Gambler (1974), The Cheap Detective (1978), and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), as well as more than 25 stage productions, including Twelve Angry Men, The Diary of Anne Frank, Death of a Salesman, and Brighton Beach Memoirs. He was the co-founder of the theatre troupe Company of Angels. He also appeared in television commercials, notably in 1968 with Richard Dreyfuss for the AMC Javelin. Tayback's most famous role was as diner owner Mel Sharples in both the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and the television series Alice (1976–1985). He was the only actor in the original film to reprise his role for the rest of the series. For the role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1978 and won two consecutive Golden Globe Awards in 1980 and 1981. In 1971, he made a guest appearance as Dirks in season 16, episode 19 of the long-running CBS Western series Gunsmoke. Personal life Tayback was married to Sheila Maureen Barnard (1932–2001) from March 16, 1963, until his death on May 25, 1990. They had one son. Death Tayback died of a heart attack at age 60 on May 25, 1990. Tayback was pronounced dead at 1:56 a.m. at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where he was taken after his wife called paramedics. She said he had climbed out of bed, taken a few steps and collapsed. Tayback was a lifelong smoker and had a history of heart problems. He underwent a triple bypass in 1983. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills). CLR
Filmography · 121
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
The Love Boat
1977 · Harry Stewart
Columbo
1971 · Sam Franklin
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
1970
Star Trek
1966 · Jojo Krako
Hawaii Five-O
1968 · Parmel
Murder, She Wrote
1984 · Sal Domino
MacGyver
1985 · George Henderson
Alice
1976 · Mel Sharples
Ironside
1967
Mannix
1967
Bewitched
1964 · Mayor's Chauffeur
Rawhide
1959 · Monte
Mission: Impossible
1966 · Egan's Goon
Emergency!
1972 · Driver
Get Smart
1965 · Jamal
I Dream of Jeannie
1965 · Turhan
Daniel Boone
1964 · American Soldier
T. J. Hooker
1982 · Pete Benedict
The Partridge Family
1970 · Ingram
Tales from the Darkside
1984 · Tippy Ryan
Barney Miller
1975 · Mr. Stavochek
Gunsmoke
1955 · Gaines
The F.B.I.
1965 · Ed Larch
Cannon
1971
Hotel
1982 · Wallace Egan
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1969 · Bernie
All in the Family
1971 · Joe Tucker
Medical Center
1969
Family Affair
1966
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955 · Man Talking to Cab Dri...
That Girl
1966
The Rookies
1972
Matt Houston
1982
Land of the Giants
1968 · Hood
McCloud
1970
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964 · Sergeant
Switch
1975 · Ralph Kabelka
Vega$
1978
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
The Monkees
1966 · George
Crazy like a Fox
1984 · Mo Scmidt
The Mod Squad
1968
F Troop
1965
Finder of Lost Loves
1984 · Thomas Velasco
Police Story
1973
Felony Squad
1966
CHiPs
1977
Lancer
1968
The Lieutenant
1963 · Cpl. Peter Garth
The Outsider
1968
Cimarron Strip
1967
The Bill Cosby Show
1969 · Calvin
Bronk
1975
All Dogs Go to Heaven
1989 · Carface (voice)
The Practice
1976
Papillon
1973 · Sergeant
Captain Nice
1967
Bullitt
1968 · Pete Ross
Occasional Wife
1966
My World and Welcome to It
1969
Love on a Rooftop
1966
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
1978
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
1974 · Mario Pinski
Supertrain
1979 · Frank Tuttle
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
1974 · Mel
The Blue Knight
1973 · Neil Grogan
The Silent Force
1970 · Capt. Al Grant
Loverboy
1989 · Harry Bruckner
Emperor of the North
1973 · Yardman
The Gambler
1974 · One
Gambit
1966 · Plainclothes Officer a...
The Cheap Detective
1978 · Lieutenant DiMaggio
Khan!
1975 · Lt. Gubbins
Time Express
1979
The Jesse Owens Story
1984 · Abe Saperstein
Love with the Proper Stranger
1963 · Cye (uncredited)
The Big Bus
1976 · Goldie
The Choirboys
1977 · Zoony
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
1966 · Detective Merchant (un...
Criminal Act
1989 · The Exterminator (Gree...
Report to the Commissioner
1975 · Lt. Seidensticker
The Night the City Screamed
1980 · Morris Brustein
The Blue Knight
1973 · Neil Grogan
No Deposit, No Return
1976 · Big Joe Adamo
Little Ladies of the Night
1977 · Finch
Mansion of the Doomed
1976 · Detective Simon
The Don Is Dead
1973 · Ralph Negri
Beverly Hills Bodysnatchers
1989 · Lou
Special Delivery
1976 · Wyatt
Five Weeks in a Balloon
1962 · European Agent (uncred...
Horseplayer
1990 · George Samsa
They Call It Murder
1971 · Jeff Poland
Death Follows a Psycho
1972
Weekend Warriors
1986 · Sgt. Burdge
Five Minutes to Live
1961 · Fred Dorella
The Shaggy D.A.
1976 · Eddie Roschak
This Year's Blonde
1980 · Harry Cohn
Portrait of a Stripper
1979 · Harry Parkins
Lepke
1975 · Charles 'Lucky' Lucian...
Honor Thy Father
1973 · Don A. Tirello
Dark Victory
1976 · Archie
The Black Bird
1975 · Warren Finley, Police...
The Alpha Caper
1973 · Policeman
Getting Married
1978 · Burt Carboni
The Underachievers
1988 · Coach
The Three Kings
1987 · Harold
Blood and Lace
1971 · Calvin Carruthers
T-Bird Gang
1959 · Policeman
Mysterious Two
1982 · Ted Randall
Rage!
1980 · Tommy
Partners in Crime
1973
Gangster Story
1959 · Norm (uncredited)
The Case of the Baltimore Girls
1978 · Capt. Barney Marcus
Treasure Island
1986 · Silver
Reel Horror
1985 · Smedke (archive footag...
Maxie
1973 · Smedke
Gridlock
1980 · Floyd 'Snake' Kraslows...
George Carlin: Playin' with Your Head
1986 · The Bad Guys
The Power of the Resurrection
1958 · Simon the Canaanite
Surftide 77
1962 · Arms Cooper