Jack Somack (September 1, 1918 – August 24, 1983) was an American

chemical engineer In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is a professional, equipped with the knowledge of chemical engineering, who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products and deals with the ...

, and actor. He is best remembered for his appearance in the

Alka-Seltzer Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid and pain reliever first marketed by the Dr. Miles Medicine Company of Elkhart, Indiana, United States. Alka-Seltzer contains three active ingredients: aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) (ASA), sodium bicarbonate ...

"spicy meatball" television commercial.

Life and career

Somack was born in Chicago, Illinois. He began his acting career in 1966, playing the lead role of Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller's ''

A View From the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with ''A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and M ...

''. In 1971 Somack appeared in the

"spicy meatball" commercial. He also appeared in the Broadway plays ''

Paris Is Out! ''Paris Is Out!'' is a 1970 Broadway comedy by Richard Seff that starred Sam Levene and Molly Picon as Daniel and Hortense Brand, a married couple planning a vacation. The Broadway production ran for 96 performances after 16 previews at the Brook ...

'' and ''The Prisoner of Second Avenue''. In the 1970s and 1980s Somack appeared and guest-starred in film and television programs including ''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'', ''

Portnoy's Complaint ''Portnoy's Complaint'' is a 1969 American novel by Philip Roth. Its success turned Roth into a major celebrity, sparking a storm of controversy over its explicit and candid treatment of sexuality, including detailed depictions of masturbation us ...

'', ''

Sanford and Son ''Sanford and Son'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'', which initially aired on BBC One in the United ...

'', '' All in the Family'', '' The Love Boat'', ''

Desperate Characters ''Desperate Characters'' is a 1970 novel by Paula Fox. Plot Sophie and Otto Bentwood are a childless, upper-middle class married couple who live in a brownstone in Brooklyn. She is a translator, he an attorney, currently preoccupied by the acr ...

'', ''

Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' star ...

'', ''

The Frisco Kid ''The Frisco Kid'' is a 1979 American Western comedy film directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Gene Wilder as Avram Belinski, a Polish rabbi who is traveling to San Francisco, and Harrison Ford as a bank robber who befriends him. Plot Rabbi Av ...

'', ''

Eight Is Enough ''Eight Is Enough'' is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who ...

'', '' The Pursuit of Happiness'', ''

Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...

'', ''

Hero at Large ''Hero at Large'' is a 1980 American superhero comedy film starring John Ritter and Anne Archer. The film was written by AJ Carothers and directed by Martin Davidson. The original music score was composed by Patrick Williams. Plot Steve Nich ...

'', '' Kojak'', ''

The Main Event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...

'', '' The Jimmy Stewart Show'', '' The Blue Knight'' and '' Family Ties''. He also starred in the short-lived television series '' Ball Four'' and ''

The Stockard Channing Show ''The Stockard Channing Show'' is an American sitcom television series starring Stockard Channing, Ron Silver, Sydney Goldsmith, Max Showalter and Jack Somack. The show first aired on CBS from March 24 to July 12, 1980, with 13 episodes produce ...

''.

Death

Somack died in August 1983 of a heart attack at the

Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, formerly known as Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, is a private hospital, private hospital located at 1300 North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. The hospital h ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, at the age of 64. He had been rehearsing for a role in the television series ''

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * *
Rotten Tomatoes profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somack, Jack 1918 births 1983 deaths People from Chicago American male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors American theatre people American chemical engineers Male actors from Chicago