Vincent Schiavelli, RIP

You might have first seen him as one of the patients in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," much taller than Danny DeVito and less creepy than Michael Berryman.

Since then, he's been in everything as one of the most in-demand character actors when a certain twist is needed. And now gone at 57.

Comments

[Dogzilla]

A scene-stealer in "Better Off Dead", urging students to solve this "paltry geometric dilemma"..

[wsdave]

I wonder if they'll get him for the re-make of "Ghost"...

[Jamie Kelly]

I loved him in "Night Shift" as the pissed-off sandwich delivery guy.
Sandwich guy: "Where the fuck is (apartment) 4-K??!!"
Henry Winkler: "Hmmm?"
Sandwich guy: "Excuse me, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WAS DEAF! 4-K???????!!!!"

[dcunlea]

Great movie, dog. His best scene in that is when he's asking the kid if it's okay to date his ex-girlfriend (eeewww!)

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't he also in The Terminator as the police shrink who interrogates Kyle before Ahnold lays invades the police station?

[Jamie Kelly]

"If I'm not mistaken, wasn't he also in The Terminator as the police shrink who interrogates Kyle before Ahnold invades the police station?"

No, that was Earl Boen, who reprised the role (much to the delight of fans of the original) in "T3." Kinda looks like him though. Big fucking bags under his eyes.

[dcunlea]

Earl Boen? I thought those droopy features were VS's trademark. I loved that T1 scene where the shrink's just yawning listening to Kyle's story.

[Kevin]

I remember him as Mr. Vargas in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High".

[Mark Borok]

"Buckaroo Banzai" as John O'Connor. Sharing screen space with Christopher Lloyd and John Lithgow. Doesn't get any better than that.

[Stormy Dragon]

Great, now who's going to play our creepy borderline-psychotic characters?

My personal favorite performance of his is Lanny in one of my favorite episodes of The X-Files, "Humbug" (the one set in the circus sideshow town).

[brian423]

One of the two servants who find the aging Salieri just in time to save him from his suicide attempt in Amadeus. Schiavelli's character treats this articulate elderly man like a stubborn child who needs to be bribed into good behavior with sweets. By the way, Amadeus deserves acknowledgement as a libertarian movie. Salieri-like resentment of inborn rather than acquired excellence is the real reason behind a lot of statism.

[leviramsey]

Sad to say, but I remember him mainly for his role as an assassin in Tomorrow Never Dies.

[Rick Barton]

"Buckaroo Banzai" as John O'Connor.

Where ever he went, there he was. 😉

[Pro Libertate]

He was great and will be missed. Of course, Christopher Lloyd will do the eulogy, saying "Bigboo-TAY! Tay! TAY!!!"

[Phil]

No, that was Earl Boen, who reprised the role (much to the delight of fans of the original) in "T3."

Boen was, aside from Arnold, the only actor/character to appear in all threee of the Terminator movies.

[smacky]

Aww...I loved this actor. (Admittedly, I would usually refer to him fondly as "that guy" in whatever scene he was in that I liked...he will be missed.)

[Larry Hastings]

One of my older brother's high school friends moved to LA to "get into the industry". IIRC, he held such illustrious jobs as "tour guide at Universal Studios", and wound up giving up and moving back home. He said that while down there he made friends with Vincent Schiavelli. I always wondered if it was really true, or just another lie told to a friend's kid brother. Guess it's academic now. Anyway, as a result I always perked up a little when I saw Schiavelli in something. That and I bet I'm the only poster here who already knew how to spell the guy's name. 🙂

Sad to see him gone, of course. But get Jeffrey Tambor some droopy-eye makeup and you've got a reasonable facimile.

larry

[emme]

Wasn't he the bad guy's body guard in Beverly Hills Cop?

[ben]

Wonder if he was another in the long line of talented movie stars who smoked themselves to death:Gable, Bogart, Cooper, Wayne and countless others who succumbed to the weed. What a waste!

[Susie]

Why do people who die of lung cancer get treated as if they "deserved it" or did it to themselves. The only way to go now days is to get hit by a car - that way the only one to blame is the person driving the car. Lighten up Ben, hopefully you will die of old age in your sleep so no one can wonder what killed you.

[Dana]

Vincent was not just a character actor, as a friend I can attest to the fact that he was a wonderful man of character to all he met. Few know that he was educated at Julliard, spoke multiple languages, wrote many books and was an accomplished chef. His odd looks can be attributed to Marfan syndrome (Abraham Lincoln also had this)and he chaired many fundraisers for research into this genetic condition & mentored children and young adults with Marfan. He was a great character actor, but most of all, he was a friend that I will miss.