American actor Mark Margolis, who played sinister drug kingpin Hector Salamanca in TV series 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul', has died at the age of 83.
His family announced it.
Margolis passed away in a New York hospital after "a short illness," with his wife and son by his side, according to a press release.
His best known role, which also earned him an Emmy nomination, was that of Hector Salamanca, a ruthless drug cartel leader forced to live in a wheelchair and communicate only with a doorbell.
“Great actor and lovely human being. Dutiful and captivating off the set, intimidating and scary on the set», the greeting of Bryan Cranston, the Walter White of Breaking Bad, protagonist of the series. "A powerful screen presence," called him his former acting partner Bob Odenkirk, who played crooked lawyer Saul Goodman in 'Breaking Bad' before it got its own spin-off 'Better Call Saul'.
The official social account of 'Breaking Bad' hailed "the immense talent of Mark Margolis, who with his eyes, a bell and very few words made Hector Salamanca one of the most unforgettable characters in the history of television".
Born in Philadelphia in 1939, Margolis moved to New York to pursue acting. He had minor roles in Scarface, Ace Ventura, Black Swan and the Oz series, but will always be remembered as Hector Salamanca. He is survived by his wife Jacqueline, to whom he had been married for 61 years, his only son Morgan and three grandchildren.
(Unioneonline/L)
