Mark Margolis Biography

Mark Margolis (November 26, 1939 – August 3, 2023) was a film and television actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He is remembered for his iconic role as Hector Salamanca in “Breaking Bad”.

 

Early years

Mark Margolis was an American actor, born in Philadelphia, into a Jewish family. He is the son of Isidore Margolis and Fanya Fried. He spent his early years in this city, where he developed an early interest in acting and the performing arts.

He briefly attended Temple University before leaving and moving to the city of New York. At the age of 19, he was a student of Stella Adler at the Actors Studio. Later, he was also trained by Barbara Loden and Lee Strasberg.

 

Beginnings

Margolis began his acting career in the theater, participating in various theatrical productions in New York. His passion for acting led him to explore different roles on stage and to hone his skills as an actor.

 

Career

Throughout his career, Mark Margolis has consistently demonstrated his versatility and acting abilities over the years. He has worked across a wide range of films and television series, earning industry and audience respect for his talent. Some of his notable film appearances include movies like “Scarface”, released in 1983 and directed by Brian De Palma, and “The Thomas Crown Affair”,

released in 1999 and directed by John McTiernan. Over the years, Margolis has also engaged in collaborations with acclaimed directors such as Darren Aronofsky, participating in films like “Pi”, released in 1998, “Requiem for a Dream”, released in 2000, and “The Wrestler”, released in 2008.

In television, over the years, Mark Margolis is widely recognized for his role as Hector “Tio” Salamanca in the successful AMC series “Breaking Bad”, which aired between 2008 and 2012. His portrayal of the mute and defiant character earned praise from critics and viewers alike. In this production, he shared the set with Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, among others.

“I was thrilled not to have to learn any lines. I mean, I had to know what was happening, I had my cues, but the fact that I didn’t have to master the lines was great. I had to fly to New Mexico and not worry about memorizing anything”.

In addition to his work in other media, Margolis returned to his theater roots. In the 2014 season at Berkeley Repertory Theater, he graced the stage once again, portraying the role of Gus in the play “The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures”,

written by Tony Kushner.

As a result, years later, he reprised his role as Hector Salamanca in the successful “Breaking Bad” spin-off, titled “Better Call Saul”, which aired from 2015 to 2021, further extending his impact on the audience.

His final television work was in the dramatic series “Your Honor”. There, he portrayed Carmin C onti,

a character who gained significance in the two thrilling final episodes.

 

Personal life

In the month of June 1962, Mark Margolis entered into marriage with Jacqueline Petcove, later known as Jacqueline Margolis. From this relationship, their first and only child, Morgan H. Margolis, who is also an actor, was born.

 

Death

On August 3, 2023, American actor Mark Margolis passed away at Mount Sinai Hospital due to a brief illness. His son confirmed his death through a statement.

 

Filmography

Acting Works of Mark Margolis:

Films

• “The Opening of Misty Beethoven” (1976).
• “Going in Style” (1979).
• “Dressed to Kill” (1980).
• “Christmas Evil” (1980).
• “Eddie Macon’s Run” (1983).
• “Scarface” (1983).
• “The Cotton Club” (1984).
• “The Bedroom Window” (1987).
• “The Secret of My Succe$s” (1987).
• “Glory” (1989).
• “White Hot” (1989).
• “Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection” (1990).
• “Tales from the Darkside: The Movie” (1990).
• “The Pit and the Pendulum” (1991).
• “1492: Conquest of Paradise” (1992).
• “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994).
• “Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale” (1994).
• “I Shot Andy Warhol” (1996).
• “The Pallbearer” (1996).
• “Absolute Power” (1996).
• “Trouble on the Corner” (1997).
• “Side Streets” (1998).
• “Pi” (1998).
• “Mickey Blue Eyes” (1999).
• “Flawless” (1999).
• “Jakob the Liar” (1999).
• “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1999).
• “End of Days” (1999).
• “Fast Food, Fast Women” (2000).
• “Dinner Rush” (2000).
• “Requiem for a Dream” (2000).
• “Hardball” (2001).
• “The Tailor of Panama” (2001).
• “Boss of Bosses” (2001).
• “Hannibal” (2001).
• “Infested” (2002).
• “Daredevil” (2003).
• “House of D” (2004).
• “Stay” (2005).
• “Headspace” (2005).
• “The Fountain” (2006).
• “Gone Baby Gone” (2007).
• “The Girl Next Door” (2007).
• “Defiance” (2008).
• “Haber” (2008).
• “The Wrestler” (2008).
• “The Model Maker” (2008).
• “Black Swan” (2010).
• “Immortals” (2011).
• “One Fall” (2011).
• “The Courier” (2011).
• “Stand Up Guys” (2012).
• “Beneath” (2013).
• “Northern Borders” (2013).
• “Noah” (2014).
• “Nasty Baby” (2015).
• “The Abandoned” (2015).
• “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” (2016).
• “Valley of Bones” (2017).
• “Abe” (2019).
• “Minyan” (2020).

 

TV

• “Muggable Mary, Street Cop” (1982).
• “Rage of Angels” (1983).
• “The Equalizer” (1985-1989).
• “Quantum Leap” (1989).
• “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1990).
• “Columbo” (1990).
• “Santa Barbara” (1991).
• “Law & Order” (1992).
• “New York Undercover” (1994).
• “Guiding Light” (1994).
• “New York News” (1995).
• “Law & Order” (1997).
• “Oz” (1998-2003).
• “Now and Again” (1999).
• “Law & Order” (2001).
• “100 Centre Street” (2001).
• “The Practice” (2002).
• “Ed” (2003-2004).
• “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (2004).
• “Sex and the City” (2004).
• “Crossing Jordan” (2005).
• “Californication” (2007).
• “Breaking Bad” (2008-2012).
• “Kings” (2009).
• “Blue Bloods” (2011).
• “Mildred Pierce” (2011).
• “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (2011).
• “The Good Wife” (2011).
• “Person of Interest” (2011-2012).
• “American Horror Story: Asylum” (2012).
• “Constantine” (2015).
• “Gotham” (2015).
• “Elementary” (2015).
• “12 Monkeys” (2015).
• “Benders” (2015).
• “The Affair” (2015).
• “Better Call Saul” (2015-2021).
• “The Blacklist” (2020).
• “Snowpiercer” (2020).
• “Prodigal Son” (2021).
• “Your Honor” (2023).