Telly Savalas

Telly Savalas

Acting
Born Jan 21, 1922
From Garden City, Long Island, New York, USA
Died Jan 22, 1994

Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an American film and television actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). His other movie credits include The Young Savages (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Battle of the Bulge (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Scalphunters (1968), supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971), Inside Out (1975) and Escape to Athena (1979).

Known For

The Dirty Dozen
7.6

The Dirty Dozen

Archer Maggott
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
6.6

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Ernst Stavro Blofeld
The Greatest Story Ever Told
6.4

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Pontius Pilate
Capricorn One
6.8

Capricorn One

Albain
The Muppet Movie
7.2

The Muppet Movie

El Sleazo Tough
Cannonball Run II
5.4

Cannonball Run II

Hymie
Kelly's Heroes
7.4

Kelly's Heroes

Master Sergeant "Big Joe"
Mackenna's Gold
6.6

Mackenna's Gold

Sergeant Tibbs
Cape Fear
7.5

Cape Fear

Private Detective Charles Sievers
Battle of the Bulge
6.9

Battle of the Bulge

Sgt. Guffy

Filmography — Acting

The Dirty Dozen
7.6
1967

The Dirty Dozen

Archer Maggott
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
6.6
1969

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Ernst Stavro Blofeld
The Greatest Story Ever Told
6.4
1965

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Pontius Pilate
Capricorn One
6.8
1977

Capricorn One

Albain
The Muppet Movie
7.2
1979

The Muppet Movie

El Sleazo Tough
Cannonball Run II
5.4
1984

Cannonball Run II

Hymie
Kelly's Heroes
7.4
1970

Kelly's Heroes

Master Sergeant "Big Joe"
Mackenna's Gold
6.6
1969

Mackenna's Gold

Sergeant Tibbs
Cape Fear
7.5
1962

Cape Fear

Private Detective Charles Sievers
Battle of the Bulge
6.9
1965

Battle of the Bulge

Sgt. Guffy
Birdman of Alcatraz
7.5
1962

Birdman of Alcatraz

Feto Gomez
Lisa and the Devil
6.2
1973

Lisa and the Devil

Leandro
Horror Express
6.3
1972

Horror Express

Captain Kazan
Genghis Khan
5.8
1965

Genghis Khan

Shan
Escape to Athena
5.7
1979

Escape to Athena

Zeno
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
5.1
1979

Beyond the Poseidon Adventure

Captain Stefan Svevo
Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell
5.8
1968

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell

Walter Braddock
The Scalphunters
6.4
1968

The Scalphunters

Jim Howie
The Young Savages
6.4
1961

The Young Savages

Detective Lt. Gunderson
Joys
4.0
1976

Joys

Self
The Slender Thread
7.1
1965

The Slender Thread

Dr. Joe Coburn
Love is a Ball
4.6
1963

Love is a Ball

Dr. Christian Gump
A Town Called Bastard
5.0
1971

A Town Called Bastard

Don Carlos
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
3.1
1965

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!

Macmuid (uncredited)
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
6.1
2010

2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

Self (archive footage)
Black Aphrodite
2.0
1977

Black Aphrodite

The Boss (as Aristides T. Savallas)
The Marcus-Nelson Murders
7.4
1973

The Marcus-Nelson Murders

Lt. Theo Kojak
The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission
5.1
1988

The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission

Maj. Wright
The Assassination Bureau
6.6
1969

The Assassination Bureau

Lord Bostwick
The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission
5.0
1987

The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission

Maj. Wright
Violent City
5.9
1970

Violent City

Al Weber
A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die
6.2
1972

A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die

Major Ward
Pretty Maids All in a Row
5.7
1971

Pretty Maids All in a Row

Captain Sam Surcher
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
4.5
1980

Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story

Cretzer
Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained
7.0
2021

Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained

Self - Actor (archive footage)
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
7.2
2022

La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président

Self (archive footage)
Kojak: The Price of Justice
4.2
1987

Kojak: The Price of Justice

Inspector Theo Kojak
GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords
6.2
1986

GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords

Magmar (voice)
Johnny Cool
5.1
1963

Johnny Cool

Vincenzo 'Vince' Santangelo
Visions...
1972

Visions...

Lt. Phil Keegan
Kojak: It's Always Something
6.0
1990

Kojak: It's Always Something

Inspector Theo Kojak
Kojak: Flowers For Matty
5.0
1990

Kojak: Flowers For Matty

Inspector Theo Kojak
Kojak: None So Blind
6.0
1990

Kojak: None So Blind

Inspector Theo Kojak
Mind Twister
3.2
1994

Mind Twister

Richard Howland
Killer Force
5.2
1976

Killer Force

Webb
The Karate Killers
4.9
1967

The Karate Killers

Count De Fanzini
Beau Geste
5.4
1966

Beau Geste

Sgt. Maj. Dagineau
The Border
5.1
1980

The Border

Frank Cooper
Faceless
5.7
1988

Faceless

Terry Hallen
Kojak : Error Fatal
6.0
1989

Kojak : Error Fatal

Lieutenant Theo Kojak
Inside Out
6.5
1975

Inside Out

Harry Morgan
The Interns
5.4
1962

The Interns

Dr. Dominic Riccio
The Cartier Affair
4.2
1984

The Cartier Affair

Phil Drexler
Kojak: Ariana
6.0
1989

Kojak: Ariana

Lieutenant Theo Kojak
Clay Pigeon
3.2
1971

Clay Pigeon

Redford
She Cried Murder
6.6
1973

She Cried Murder

Inspector Joe Brody
Kojak The Belarus File
6.0
1985

Kojak The Belarus File

Lieutenant Theo Kojak
Sol Madrid
6.4
1968

Sol Madrid

Emil Dietrich
Mongo's Back in Town
4.8
1971

Mongo's Back in Town

Lieutenant Pete Tolstad
The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wine
8.7
1987

The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wine

Brother Joseph Heiden
Fake-Out
3.7
1982

Fake-Out

Lt. Thurston
Sonny and Jed
5.7
1972

Sonny and Jed

Sheriff Franciscus
The Man from the Diners' Club
5.3
1963

The Man from the Diners' Club

Foots Pulardos
Afghanistan For What?
1984

Afghanistan For What?
Fanfare for a Death Scene
6.0
1964

Fanfare for a Death Scene

Ilchidai Khan
Land Raiders
5.4
1969

Land Raiders

Vince Carden
The New Interns
4.0
1964

The New Interns

Dr. Dominic Riccio
Telly... Who Loves Ya, Baby?
1976

Telly... Who Loves Ya, Baby?

Self
5.0
1991

Perfect Crimes

Self - Narrator
The Killer Is on the Phone
5.2
1972

The Killer Is on the Phone

Ranko Drasovic
Crooks and Coronets
8.3
1969

Crooks and Coronets

Herbie Haseler
Mad Dog Coll
5.3
1961

Mad Dog Coll

Lt. Dawson
Silent Rebellion
7.0
1982

Silent Rebellion

Pete
Hellinger's Law
7.5
1981

Hellinger's Law

Nick Hellinger
4.8
1961

The Sin of Jesus

Felix
Pancho Villa
4.8
1972

Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa
The Flintstones' 25th Anniversary Celebration
7.6
1986

The Flintstones' 25th Anniversary Celebration
Redneck
4.2
1973

Redneck

Memphis
Halloween Monster Bash
1991

Halloween Monster Bash

Captain Kazan (archive footage)
Crime Boss
6.4
1972

Crime Boss

Don Vincenzo
Beyond Reason
1982

Beyond Reason

Dr. Nicholas Mati
Operation Dirty Dozen
6.0
2006

Operation Dirty Dozen

Self
Backfire!
3.0
1995

Backfire!

Most Evil Man (Not Really)
The House of Exorcism
4.5
1975

The House of Exorcism

Leandro (archive footage)
Rose Against the Odds
1991

Rose Against the Odds

George Parnassus
Remote Control Magic: The Movie
2012

Remote Control Magic: The Movie

Self (archive footage)
The Hollywood Detective
6.0
1989

The Hollywood Detective

Harry Bell
Telly Savalas Looks at Portsmouth
1981

Telly Savalas Looks at Portsmouth

Narrator
Telly Savalas Looks at Birmingham
5.7
1981

Telly Savalas Looks at Birmingham

Narrator
Telly Savalas Looks at Aberdeen
6.0
1981

Telly Savalas Looks at Aberdeen

Narrator
4.0
1987

Return to the Titanic... Live!

Host

Filmography — Crew

Beyond Reason

Beyond Reason

Director