Robert Loggia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Loggia
Loggia in 1983
Born	Salvatore Loggia (1930-01-03)January 3, 1930 Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Died	December 4, 2015(2015-12-04) (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Memorial Park
Alma mater	University of Missouri (BA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1951–2015
Spouse(s)	Marjorie Sloan ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1981)​ Audrey O'Brien ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	3
Awards	Saturn Award (1988) Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2010)
Military career
Service/branch	United States Army
Battles/wars	Korean War

Salvatore "Robert" Loggia (/ˈloʊʒə/ LOH-zhə, Italian: [salvaˈtoːre ˈlɔddʒa]; January 3, 1930 – December 4, 2015) was a well-known American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie Jagged Edge (1985). He also won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part in the film Big (1988).

Robert Loggia had a long acting career that lasted over sixty years. He appeared in many famous movies. These include The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), several Pink Panther films, and An Officer and a Gentleman (1982). He was also in Scarface (1982), Prizzi's Honor (1985), and the animated movie Oliver & Company (1988). Later films include Independence Day (1996) and Return to Me (2000). Loggia also acted in many TV shows. He starred in the Walt Disney series The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca (1958). He also led the show Mancuso, FBI (1989–1990) and T.H.E. Cat (1966–67). You might also remember him from Malcolm in the Middle (2001) and The Sopranos (2004).

Early Life and Education

Robert Loggia was born Salvatore Loggia in Staten Island, New York. His birthday was January 3, 1930. His father, Biagio Loggia, was a shoemaker from Palma di Montechiaro, Sicily. His mother, Elena Blandino, was a homemaker from Vittoria, Sicily. His family spoke Italian at home.

He went to New Dorp High School. After that, he took classes at Wagner College. In 1951, he earned a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. He later studied acting with Alvina Krause at Northwestern University. After serving in the United States Army during the Korean War, he married Marjorie Sloan in 1954. He then began studying acting at the Actors Studio with Stella Adler.

Acting Career

Loggia started his acting career on Broadway at age 25. His first play was The Man with the Golden Arm in 1955. His first movie role was a small part in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956).

His big break in Hollywood came two years later. He played a real-life lawman named Elfego Baca in a series of Walt Disney TV shows. The show was called The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca. He then starred as a circus artist who became a detective in the TV series T.H.E. Cat in 1966.

Robert Loggia as T.H.E. Cat (1966).

After T.H.E. Cat ended, Loggia went through a difficult time. His career struggled for six years. A chance meeting with Audrey O'Brien helped him through this period. They later got married. Even though he acted in the soap opera The Secret Storm in 1972, he decided to try directing.

He continued to act a lot on television. He appeared in many different shows. Some of these include Columbo, Gunsmoke, The Rockford Files, and Charlie's Angels. He was also in Magnum, P.I., Hawaii Five-0, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Bionic Woman. Later, he appeared in Frasier, The Sopranos, and Monk.

The director Blake Edwards often cast Loggia in smaller roles in his films. These included Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) and other Pink Panther movies. In 1983, Loggia played Frank Lopez in the classic film Scarface.

Loggia also acted in other popular movies. These include An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Prizzi's Honor (1985), and Independence Day (1996). Other films he starred in are Over The Top (1987) and Return to Me (2000).

He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as private detective Sam Ransom in Jagged Edge (1985). He was also nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for playing FBI agent Nick Mancuso in the TV series Mancuso, FBI (1989–1990). Loggia often played mobsters in films. He voiced Sykes, a bad guy, in Disney's animated film Oliver & Company (1988). He also played mobsters in Innocent Blood (1992) and Lost Highway (1997). He played the mobster Feech La Manna in several episodes of The Sopranos.

In 1998, Loggia appeared in a funny TV commercial for Minute Maid orange-tangerine juice. A boy in the ad says he would trust Robert Loggia to recommend the drink. Loggia then appears and endorses it, making the boy exclaim, "Whoa, Robert Loggia!" This commercial was even mentioned in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. Loggia guest-starred in that episode as "Grandpa Victor."

Besides voicing Sykes in Oliver & Company, Loggia did other voice acting. He voiced Admiral Petrarch in the computer game FreeSpace 2 (1999). He was also the voice of crooked cop Ray Machowski in the video game Grand Theft Auto III (2001). He had a regular voice role on the animated TV show Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004–2006).

In 2009, Loggia appeared in an Apple "Get a Mac" advertisement. He played a personal trainer helping a PC computer get back in shape. He also joined the cast of the TNT series Men of a Certain Age. Loggia appeared as himself in two episodes of the animated series Family Guy. In 2012, he played Saint Peter in the film The Apostle Peter and the Last Supper. He also worked with Canadian entrepreneur Frank D'Angelo on several films.

Loggia also directed episodes of TV shows. These include Quincy M.E., Magnum, P.I., and Hart to Hart. He made a small appearance as General William Grey in the 2016 movie Independence Day: Resurgence. This was a sequel to his earlier film Independence Day. He filmed it shortly before he passed away. The movie was released after his death and was dedicated to him.

Personal Life

Robert and wife Audrey at the 2012 Miami International Film Festival

Robert Loggia was married to Marjorie Sloan from 1954 to 1981. They had three children together. They divorced in 1981. In 1982, Loggia married Audrey O'Brien. She was a business executive and had a daughter named Cynthia Marlette. Robert and Audrey stayed married until his death in 2015.

Later Years and Passing

In 2010, Robert Loggia was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He passed away on December 4, 2015, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 85 years old. He is buried at the Westwood Memorial Park.

Awards and Honors

In 2010, Robert Loggia received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. This award recognizes people who have done good things for others. On December 17, 2011, his old university, the University of Missouri, gave him an honorary degree. This was to honor his acting career and his humanitarian work.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Robert Loggia para niños