Leonard Termo (March 6, 1935 – October 30, 2012) was an American

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

whose numerous film and television roles included ''

Fight Club ''Fight Club'' is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton plays the unnamed narrator, who is d ...

'', ''

Johnny Dangerously ''Johnny Dangerously'' is a 1984 American crime comedy film, and a parody of 1930s crime/gangster movies. It was directed by Amy Heckerling. The film stars Michael Keaton as an honest, goodhearted man who turns to a life of crime to finance hi ...

'', and ''

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''. Termo was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He worked as a businessman in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

's Garment District until he left the industry in the mid-1970s to pursue acting as a full-time profession. In a November 1983 ''

'' magazine article profiling actor

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...

, Termo told the interviewer that he had given up much of his life to continue acting, saying he "left it all—my wife, my kid, my money, everything... I love acting. I'm broke. I sleep on a cot." Termo made his film debut in the 1983 movie ''

Heart Like a Wheel ''Heart Like a Wheel'' is the fifth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt, released in November 1974. It was Ronstadt's last album to be released by Capitol Records. At the time of its recording, Ronstadt had already moved to Asylum Records and rel ...

''. Termo formed a long personal and professional friendship with Rourke during the 1980s after Rourke saw Termo performing at a theater in

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' ...

. ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' described the duo as "constant companions" for years. Termo appeared in five of Rourke's films throughout the 1980s, beginning with ''

The Pope of Greenwich Village ''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' is a 1984 American crime black comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Geraldine Page, Kenneth McMillan and Burt Young. Page was nominated for the Academ ...

'' in 1984. Rourke and Termo had appeared together in '' Year of the Dragon'' in 1985, '' Barfly'' in 1987, ''

A Prayer for the Dying ''A Prayer for the Dying'' is a 1987 thriller film about a former IRA member trying to escape his past. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Bob Hoskins, and Alan Bates. The film is based on the 1973 Jack ...

'', also released in 1987, and '' Homeboy'' in 1988. Termo and Rourke were also set to co-star in a film on 1930s-era gangster Jack "Legs" Diamond (with Rourke as Diamond and Termo portraying Diamond's

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...

), but the proposed

Embassy Pictures Embassy Pictures Corporation (also and later known as Avco Embassy Pictures as well as Embassy Films Associates) was an American independent film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution studio responsible for such fil ...

movie was never made. Termo's other 1980s film roles included '' The Cotton Club'' in 1984; ''

'' in 1984; and ''

Turk 182 ''Turk 182'' is a 1985 American action comedy-drama film directed by Bob Clark and starring Timothy Hutton, Robert Urich, Kim Cattrall, Robert Culp, and Peter Boyle. It is also one of the first movies to receive a PG-13 rating. Plot 34-year-ol ...

'' in 1985. His film career continued in the 1990s and 2000s with parts in ''

Ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sa ...

'' in 1992; the

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...

film ''

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...

'' in 1994, in which he played a

make-up artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other similar productions inc ...

; '' Lost Highway'' in 1997; ''

'' in 1999; and ''

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...

'' in 2001. His television credits included '' Wiseguy'' and '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''. Termo appeared in the premiere episode of the comedy

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

'' fifth season—in "

The Mango "The Mango" is the 65th episode of the sitcom '' Seinfeld''. It aired on September 16, 1993, and is the premiere of the show's fifth season. Larry David said that a friend of his came up with the setup of this episode: Elaine never having orgas ...

", aired on September 16, 1993, Termo portrayed Joe, the owner of Joe's Fruits store, who bans both Kramer (

Michael Richards Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor, writer, television producer, and comedian best known for playing Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom '' Seinfeld''. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, first enterin ...

) and Jerry (

Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing a Jerry Seinfeld (character), semi-fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom ''Seinfeld'', which he ...

) from his store after Kramer criticizes one of his bad peaches. Termo died in his sleep at his home in

Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17th ...

, on October 30, 2012, at the age of 77. His death was confirmed by Termo's friend, actor

Elias Koteas Elias Koteas (; el, Ηλίας Κοτέας; born March 11, 1961) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Alvin "Al" Olinsky in the ''Chicago'' franchise, as well as appearing in lead and supporting roles in numerous films. He won the Cana ...

. On November 2, 2012, actor

Matt Dillon Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including an Oscar and Grammy nomination. Dillon made his feature film debut in '' Over the Edge'' (1979) and established himself as a te ...

dedicated an award he received at the Savannah Film Festival in honor of Termo, who was also a friend of Dillon's.

Partial filmography

(1983) as Good Joe *''Dragster'' (1983) - Good Joe *''

'' (1984) - Fat Waldo *'' The Cotton Club'' (1984) - Danny *''

'' (1984) - Tony Scarano *''

'' (1985) - Barricade Cop *'' Year of the Dragon'' (1985) - Angelo Rizzo *''

'' (1987) - Bonati *'' Barfly'' (1987) - Harry *''Zits'' (1988) - KGB Chief *'' Bloodhounds of Broadway'' (1989) - Goodtime Nate Fishkin *''

Hider in the House ''Hider in the House'' is a British children's game show presented by Jason King and Joel Ross (aka JK and Joel). In the programme, a celebrity has to be hidden in a family's house by three children and a parent. If the family has fewer than t ...

'' (1989) - George / Exterminator *'' My Blue Heaven'' (1990) *''Midnight Cabaret'' (1990) - Lt. McMurphy *''

Mobsters A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization a ...

'' (1991) - Joe Palermo *'' 29th Street'' (1991) - Dr. Puccini *''

'' (1992) - Tony Ana *'' Nowhere to Run'' (1993) - Bus Guard *'' Gettysburg'' (1993) - Cpl. George F. Estabrook *''

'' (1994) - Makeup Man Harry *''

Mojave Moon ''Mojave Moon'' is a 1996 American road movie. It stars Danny Aiello, Anne Archer, Michael Biehn, Angelina Jolie and Jack Noseworthy. The film was written by Leonard Glasser and directed by Kevin Dowling. Plot Al McCord is hanging out at his f ...

'' (1996) - Shorty *'' Lost Highway'' (1997) - Judge (voice) *'' Gone Fishin''' (1997) - Vending Worker #1 *''Lover Girl'' (1997) - Mr. Johnny *''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

'' (1998) - Homeless Guy *''Ballad of the Nightingale'' (1999) - Tony the Tank *''

'' (1999) - Desk Sergeant *''Family Tree'' (1999) - Vince *''Blood Type'' (1999) - Chauffeur *''Double Bang'' (2001) - Al Lucito *''

'' (2001) - Madison Square Garden Reporter #1 *'' Gods and Generals'' (2003) - Glazier Estabrook (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Termo, Leonard 2012 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Santa Clarita, California People from Brooklyn Year of birth uncertain 1935 births American people of Italian descent