Actor Mark Margolis has passed away at the age of 83. He was best known for roles in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” With his family by his side, he took his last breath on August 3, 2023, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Margolis’ team released a statement explaining the actor died after battling a short illness.
Birth of a Star
He was born on Nov. 26, 1939, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Fanya (Fried) and Isidore Margolis. For a brief time, he studied at Temple University. However, he ended up dropping out and moving to New York.
When he was 19, he studied under the guidance of Stella Adler at the Actors Studio. Later, trained by Barbara Leon and Lee Strasberg.
On June 3, 1962, he married his wife, Jacqueline (née Petcove). Later, their son Morgan H. Margolis was born.
Notable Career
While most of his memorable roles were performed on TV, Margolis played supporting roles in several famous films. For example, “Scarface,” “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Black Swan,” and “Noah.”
In a 1990 episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Margolis played Dr. Nel Apgar. A year later, he was seen in the soap opera “Santa Barbara” as Helmut Dieter. Additionally, the actor held recurring parts in “Quantum Leap,” “Law & Order,” “Oz,” “The Equalizer,” “Crossing Jordan,” and “Californication.”
His most notable character was Hector Salamanca in “Breaking Bad.” Afterward, he reprised his role in the spinoff show “Better Call Saul.” In 2012, he was nominated for an Emmy for Oustanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his part in “Breaking Bad.”
In addition to playing on the silver screen, Margolis was also a stage actor. He performed in Tony Kushner’s “The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures” in 2014. This play was performed in the Berkeley Repertory Theater.
Death of a Love One
The actor left behind his wife, son, daughter-in-law (Heide), and three grandsons. May his family find solace during the days to come and may he rest in peace.
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
TMZ: Mark Margolis, ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ Actor Dead at 83
Wikipedia: Mark Margolis
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Riccardo Maria Mantero‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Irmin Wehmeier‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
