WASHINGTON — Actor Mark Margolis, known for his menacing, bell-ringing performance as Hector Salamanca on "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," died Thursday in New York. He was 83.
The actor died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City following a short illness, according to a statement from his son, Morgan Margolis.
Margolis, who was born in 1939 in Philadelphia, moved to New York at a young age to pursue an acting career. He had his breakout moment on film in the mob classic "Scarface" in 1983 as the villainous bodyguard Alberto, known as The Shadow.
Over five decades of acting work, Margolis appeared in more than 70 films. Six of his roles were in Darren Aronofsky movies: "Pi," "Requiem for a Dream," "The Fountain," "The Wrestler," "Black Swan" and "Noah." He also appeared in the 1994 film "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" as the landlord, Mr. Shickadance.
He also showed up as recurring characters in “The Equalizer,” “Oz,” “Kings” and “American Horror Story: Asylum."
But Margolis is best known to modern audiences for his role as Hector Salamanca, the former drug kingpin in "Breaking Bad" and its prequel series, "Better Call Saul". Despite being a man of few words, Margolis left a mark on the series and in the minds of viewers, with his performance nominating him for a 2012 Emmy Award.
Margolis’ manager Robert Kolker said in a statement to Variety, “He was one of a kind. We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him.”
Margolis is survived by his wife of 61 years, Jacqueline Margolis, and his son Morgan, who is CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment. The family plans to have a private memorial and funeral.
