Guy Marks (1923 - 1987) - Impressionist, stand-up comic, TV & Film actor, neighbor and friend.

He was questionably not a career actor but rather a topnotch entertainer who dabbled in acting. He does fit into the "one-hit wonder" category. In this case it is the quality, not the quantity, of his work that I feel merits him a place among the great character actors. He was better known as a stand-up comic and world-class impressionist. No one could steal a scene or a show like the fabulous Mr. Marks! He was born Mario Scarpa in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1923, the youngest of 11 children of concert clarinetist Ermedlindo Scarpa, a member of the RCA Recording Orchestra. He grew up on Phillie's South Side and frequently ran away from home working at odd jobs. As a young man he found his niche in comedy, especially impersonations, and he was a Master! He could do animals, birds, inanimate objects, just about anything and not just the sounds but the actions, the walks and the faces. When he did an impression of a famous person, he "looked like" that person. He toured the nightclub circuit opening for big stars like Eddie Fisher and Sammy Davis Jr. He worked in Las Vegas quite often. He guested on many TV variety shows such as "Ed Sullivan", "Hollywood Palace", "The Milton Berle Show" and "The Dean Martin Show." This eventually led to a role on a brief but hilarious comedy series with Tim Conway "Rango" as a very sarcastic Indian sidekick which was his greatest success. He appeared in the films: "Peeper" (1975) uncredited as Man in Alley (Bogart Imitation) and "Train Ride to Hollywood" (1978) as Bogie, a Humphrey Bogart look-alike, doing his impeccable Bogart voice impression. On TV he was a regular on the series: "The Joey Bishop Show" (1961-62) as Freddie; "The John Forsythe Show" (1965) as Ed Robbins; "Rango" (1967) as Pink Cloud and "You Again" (1986) as Harry. Sadly, not many producers picked up on his talents or maybe it was that he preferred the nightclub circuit, but audiences were at a loss for it never the less. He also composed a "one-hit wonder" novelty song called "Loving You Has Made Me Bananas" that was quite popular in the 1970s. At the time of his death he had completed a TV series pilot with Sid Caesar which never panned out. His talents can be seen on the current video release of the "Dean Martin Roasts." He was married and divorced several times and was survived by two brothers and five sisters. He died on November 28, 1987 in Brigantine, New Jersey at age 64.

Ermes Effron Borgnino
 AKA Ernest Borgnine

In the film "Liberty Heights" my character, Louie, had to do an
over-the-top (i.e. "bad") impression of Ernest Borgine as Marty. 

"Ma, I'm an ugly man. Nobody wants me!"

Ten years later, I got to meet this "Energizer Bunny" at the signing
of his book, "Ernie - The Autobigraphy".  A hearing aid was the only
concession to his 92 years on the planet. Broad shoulders, atop a
massive chest, accompanied by seriously large hands were warning
enough that, if provoked,  he could put me on my butt in a blink.

 As I inched forward in the signing line, book in hand,  his georgeous
wife, Tovah, instructed me , "If you want Ernie to personalize your book,
please put your name on a Post-It and slip it inside the front cover."

Instead, I slipped my SAG card inside, handed him the book and, in
return,   got back a smile and a Hello that made me feel as though I was a
member of the family.   The fact that everyone else seemed to be
getting the same type of greeting did not disabuse me of the conviction
that, as an established "insider", I was getting special  treatment.

Nevertheless, I told him why I had to come.
"I did a movie,  where I had to do a purposefully bad impression of you and,
ever since, I knew some day I was destined to meet you." 

A volcano of laughter erupted from somewhere inside that chest
as he took his Sharpie and wrote:

A keeper of a book and a keeper of a memory.     

Jerry Orbach
1935 - 2004
I had the honor of working with this giant of an entertainer
on Law & Order.  When he learned that my dad had owned a pool hall
in Philly, that's all he wanted to talk about. He knew all the pool halls
there from his days working at the Walnut Street Theater. A true hustler
in his day, he had story after story about shooting pool with Minnesota Fats.
Never before - or since - have I asked another actor for his autograph: but I got his.
(Ernest Borgine doesn't count because he signed his book for me.)

Natasha Richardson
1964 - 2009
In the summer of 2005, Angie and I had the pleasure
of being front and center to watch Natasha Richardson
on Broadway as Blanche Dubois in "Streetcar Named
Desire". She co-starred with John C. Reilly, as Stanley
Kowalski, and two of my cast mates from "The Wire", 
Amy Ryan , as Stella, and Chris Bauer, as Harold.