Leonard Termo (March 6, 1935 – October 30, 2012) was an American character actor 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'', and '' Seinfeld''. 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. 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 '' New York'' 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 r ...

''. 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 List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'' 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 Academy ...

'' 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), but the proposed Embassy Pictures movie was never made. Termo's other 1980s film roles included '' The Cotton Club'' in 1984; '' Johnny Dangerously'' 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 ...

'' 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 ...

'' 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; '' 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, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

'' Seinfeld'' fifth season—in " The Mango", aired on September 16, 1993, Termo portrayed Joe, the owner of Joe's Fruits store, who bans both Kramer ( Michael Richards) and Jerry ( Jerry Seinfeld) from his store after Kramer criticizes one of his bad peaches. Termo died in his sleep at his home in Santa Clarita, California, 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 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 *'' Johnny Dangerously'' (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 prod ...

'' (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