Mark Margolis, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, And Scarface Actor, Dead At 83
One of cinema's most illustrious character actors has left us. Mark Margolis, best known for his performance as Hector Salamanca in both "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," sadly passed away in New York City earlier today at the age of 83. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his death came after a "short illness" and was officially announced by the performer's son, Morgan Margolis.
Margolis may be most recognizable to younger audiences for his acclaimed television role as the head of the Salamanca crime family, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2012, but his tireless work in the industry stretches back to the 1970s. Appearing in films such as 1979's "Going in Style" and Brian De Palma's "Dressed to Kill" in 1980, Margolis would go on to find great success with supporting roles in "Scarface" as bodyguard and hitman Alberto the Shadow, "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" in 1994 alongside Jim Carrey, and several Darren Aronofsky films: "Pi" in 1999, "Requiem for a Dream" a year later, 2010's "Black Swan," and "Noah" in 2014. With hundreds of film credits under his belt, however, Margolis truly came into his own with recurring roles in the series "The Equalizer" in the mid-to-late 1980s, followed by appearances in "Quantum Leap," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," various roles in "Law & Order," HBO's "Oz," and "American Horror Story" among many, many others.
With his distinctive looks, unmistakable voice, and an undefinable edge that he brought to his roles, Margolis firmly established himself as the kind of actor who could disappear into any role demanded of him. His incredibly lengthy résumé speaks for itself, as the actor continued working at a prolific pace right up until this past year. He will be sorely missed.
Mark Margolis passes away at 83
Mark Margolis' incredible career spanned six different decades, putting him in rarified territory alongside some of the absolute greats in the business after first arriving on the scene as a personal assistant to Stella Adler and eventually Lee Strasberg, both of whom were famous acting instructors who also trained performers no less talented than Robert De Niro and countless others who followed the method acting technique.
In 2009, Margolis made the first of many appearances on "Breaking Bad" as the fierce Hector Salamanca, a former crime lord whose legacy and history with Mexico's most formidable drug kingpin would eventually turn him into one of the show's most iconic characters. His magnificent performance — made all the more impressive by the fact that he did so almost entirely nonverbally and through facial expressions alone, as his character was rendered mute and dependent on a bell affixed to his wheelchair to communicate — reached its zenith in Hector's ultimate standoff (in an episode fittingly titled "Face Off") against rival Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) in one of the show's most memorable scenes. In an inspired choice, Margolis was brought back to play a younger and more vibrant version of Hector Salamanca in "Better Call Saul," which gave him even more screen time to fully flesh out the character while documenting how he ended up in that wheelchair to begin with.
A self-described "journeyman actor" (via THR), Margolis never took a single role lightly and remained a constant fixture — and a pleasant surprise capable of elevating the rest of his castmates — every time he appeared in a movie or show over the years. Mark Margolis is survived by his son Morgan, his brother Jerome, his wife Jacqueline, and three grandsons.