Acting · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA · Born January 6, 1930
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Victor Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as diner owner Mel Sharples in the comedy-drama film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and the television sitcom Alice (1976–1985), for which he won two consecutive Golden Globes. Early life Tayback was born on January 6, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, to Syrian Catholic immigrant parents Helen (née Hanood; Arabic: هيلين هنود تايباك) and Najeeb James Tayback (Arabic: نجيب جيمس طيبك) . Both of his parents had emigrated to the United States from Aleppo. He moved with his family to Burbank, California during his teenage years and attended Burbank High School, from which he graduated in 1948. He also attended Glendale Community College and the Frederick A. Speare School of Radio and TV Broadcasting. Career Tayback served in the United States Navy before beginning his acting career at the age of 25. A lifetime member of the Actors Studio, he was a familiar face on television in the 1960s and 1970s, appearing on numerous series, including The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, Bonanza, Here Come the Brides, That Girl, Gunsmoke, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Partridge Family, All in the Family, Fantasy Island, Columbo, Bewitched and The Love Boat. He also appeared in many films such as Bullitt (1968), Papillon (1973), The Gambler (1974), The Cheap Detective (1978), and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), as well as more than 25 stage productions, including Twelve Angry Men, The Diary of Anne Frank, Death of a Salesman, and Brighton Beach Memoirs. He was the co-founder of the theatre troupe Company of Angels. He also appeared in television commercials, notably in 1968 with Richard Dreyfuss for the AMC Javelin. Tayback's most famous role was as diner owner Mel Sharples in both the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and the television series Alice (1976–1985). He was the only actor in the original film to reprise his role for the rest of the series. For the role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1978 and won two consecutive Golden Globe Awards in 1980 and 1981. In 1971, he made a guest appearance as Dirks in season 16, episode 19 of the long-running CBS Western series Gunsmoke. Personal life Tayback was married to Sheila Maureen Barnard (1932–2001) from March 16, 1963, until his death on May 25, 1990. They had one son. Death Tayback died of a heart attack at age 60 on May 25, 1990. Tayback was pronounced dead at 1:56 a.m. at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where he was taken after his wife called paramedics. She said he had climbed out of bed, taken a few steps and collapsed. Tayback was a lifelong smoker and had a history of heart problems. He underwent a triple bypass in 1983. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills). CLR
MovieHorseplayer
1990
as George Samsa
MovieAll Dogs Go to Heaven
1989
as Carface (voice)
MovieBeverly Hills Bodysnatchers
1989
as Lou
MovieCriminal Act
1989
as The Exterminator (Greengrass)
MovieLoverboy
1989
as Harry Bruckner
MovieThe Underachievers
1988
as Coach
MovieThe Three Kings
1987
as Harold
MovieWeekend Warriors
1986
as Sgt. Burdge
MovieGeorge Carlin: Playin' with Your Head
1986
as The Bad Guys
MovieTreasure Island
1986
as Silver
MovieReel Horror
1985
as Smedke (archive footage)
TVMacGyver
1985
as George Henderson
TVCrazy like a Fox
1984
as Mo Scmidt
TVMurder, She Wrote
1984
as Sal Domino
TVTales from the Darkside
1984
as Tippy Ryan
TVFinder of Lost Loves
1984
as Thomas Velasco
MovieThe Jesse Owens Story
1984
as Abe Saperstein
TVMatt Houston
1982
TVHotel
1982
as Wallace Egan
MovieMysterious Two
1982
as Ted Randall
TVT. J. Hooker
1982
as Pete Benedict
Through the Magic Pyramid
1981
as Horembeb
MovieThe Night the City Screamed
1980
as Morris Brustein
MovieGridlock
1980
as Floyd 'Snake' Kraslowski
MovieRage!
1980
as Tommy
MovieThis Year's Blonde
1980
as Harry Cohn
MoviePortrait of a Stripper
1979
as Harry Parkins
TVTime Express
1979
TVSupertrain
1979
as Frank Tuttle
$weepstake$
1979
as Sir Yarbrough
TVVega$
1978
TVThe Eddie Capra Mysteries
1978
MovieThe Cheap Detective
1978
as Lieutenant DiMaggio
MovieGetting Married
1978
as Burt Carboni
MovieThe Case of the Baltimore Girls
1978
as Capt. Barney Marcus
MovieThe Choirboys
1977
as Zoony
TVThe Love Boat
1977
as Harry Stewart
TVCHiPs
1977
MovieLittle Ladies of the Night
1977
as Finch
MovieThe Shaggy D.A.
1976
as Eddie Roschak
MovieMansion of the Doomed
1976
as Detective Simon
TVAlice
1976
as Mel Sharples
MovieSpecial Delivery
1976
as Wyatt
MovieThe Big Bus
1976
as Goldie
MovieNo Deposit, No Return
1976
as Big Joe Adamo
MovieDark Victory
1976
as Archie
TVThe Practice
1976
MovieThe Black Bird
1975
as Warren Finley, Police Lieutenant
On the Rocks
1975
TVSwitch
1975
as Ralph Kabelka
MovieLepke
1975
as Charles 'Lucky' Luciano
TVBronk
1975
TVKhan!
1975
as Lt. Gubbins
MovieReport to the Commissioner
1975
as Lt. Seidensticker
TVBarney Miller
1975
as Mr. Stavochek
MovieAlice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
1974
as Mel
MovieThe Gambler
1974
as One
MovieThunderbolt and Lightfoot
1974
as Mario Pinski
MoviePapillon
1973
as Sergeant
MovieThe Don Is Dead
1973
as Ralph Negri
MovieThe Blue Knight
1973
as Neil Grogan
TVThe Blue Knight
1973
as Neil Grogan
MovieThe Alpha Caper
1973
as Policeman
Griff
1973
MovieEmperor of the North
1973
as Yardman
MoviePartners in Crime
1973
TVPolice Story
1973
MovieHonor Thy Father
1973
as Don A. Tirello
MovieMaxie
1973
as Smedke
TVThe Streets of San Francisco
1972
TVThe Rookies
1972
TVEmergency!
1972
as Driver
MovieDeath Follows a Psycho
1972
MovieThey Call It Murder
1971
as Jeff Poland
TVColumbo
1971
as Sam Franklin
TVCannon
1971
MovieBlood and Lace
1971
as Calvin Carruthers
TVAll in the Family
1971
as Joe Tucker
TVThe Partridge Family
1970
as Ingram
TVThe Silent Force
1970
as Capt. Al Grant
TVThe Mary Tyler Moore Show
1970
TVMcCloud
1970
TVMedical Center
1969
TVThe Courtship of Eddie's Father
1969
as Bernie
TVMy World and Welcome to It
1969
TVThe Bill Cosby Show
1969
as Calvin
MovieBullitt
1968
as Pete Ross
TVThe Mod Squad
1968
TVLancer
1968
TVLand of the Giants
1968
as Hood
TVHawaii Five-O
1968
as Parmel
TVThe Outsider
1968
TVMannix
1967
TVCimarron Strip
1967
TVIronside
1967
TVCaptain Nice
1967
MovieGambit
1966
as Plainclothes Officer at TWA Counter (uncredited)
MovieDead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
1966
as Detective Merchant (uncredited)
TVMission: Impossible
1966
as Egan's Goon
TVOccasional Wife
1966
TVFamily Affair
1966
TVThe Monkees
1966
as George
TVFelony Squad
1966
TVStar Trek
1966
as Jojo Krako
TVThat Girl
1966
TVLove on a Rooftop
1966
TVThe F.B.I.
1965
as Ed Larch
TVI Dream of Jeannie
1965
as Turhan
TVGet Smart
1965
as Jamal
TVF Troop
1965
TVDaniel Boone
1964
as American Soldier
TVThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
as Sergeant
TVBewitched
1964
as Mayor's Chauffeur
MovieLove with the Proper Stranger
1963
as Cye (uncredited)
TVThe Lieutenant
1963
as Cpl. Peter Garth
MovieFive Weeks in a Balloon
1962
as European Agent (uncredited)
MovieSurftide 77
1962
as Arms Cooper
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
MovieFive Minutes to Live
1961
as Fred Dorella
MovieGangster Story
1959
as Norm (uncredited)
MovieT-Bird Gang
1959
as Policeman
TVRawhide
1959
as Monte
MovieThe Power of the Resurrection
1958
as Simon the Canaanite
TVAlfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Man Talking to Cab Driver
TVGunsmoke
1955
as Gaines
