Victor Argo (November 5, 1934 – April 7, 2004) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

actor of Puerto Rican descent who usually played the part of a tough bad guy in his movies. He had a career span of forty years. He is best known for '' Mean Streets'' (1973), ''

Taxi Driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American psychological thriller drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Bro ...

'' (1976), ''

Hot Tomorrows ''Hot Tomorrows'' is a 1977 film directed by Martin Brest. The film includes appearances from actor Hervé Villechaize and the theatre troupe The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, and is the only filmed example of a performance from the troupe ...

'' (1977), '' The Last Temptation of Christ'' (1988), ''

King of New York ''King of New York'' is a 1990 neo-noir gangster film directed by Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St. John. It stars Christopher Walken as a New York City drug kingpin rebuilding his criminal empire after his release from prison, while al ...

'' (1990), and '' McBain'' (1991).

Early years

Argo was born Victor Jimenez in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

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 * '' ...

. Both of his parents were born in the town of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico. Rotten Tomatoes
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Professional career

Argo began his career as a stage actor. Attempting to break into show business at a time when there was much prejudice against Latino performers Victor professionally adopted the surname "Argo" to better his casting chances, stating in an interview that he "felt the prejudice was against the name, not even against me." While performing in an

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

play during the 1960s, Argo met

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

, with whom he participated in the so-called "Happening" movement. He also became friends with the then fledgling actor Harvey Keitel, with whom he remained close for nearly forty years and would act together in several films with. In 1977, Argo became a founding member of the Riverside Shakespeare Company on New York City's

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

. As a member, he toured the parks of Manhattan playing Lord Montague. In the 1970s, Argo made his film debut with a small part in '' Unholy Rollers'' and his

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

debut in a made-for-TV film ''Smile Jenny, You're Dead''. Often playing the part of the NY 'heavy' or mobster on film, Argo was a favorite of such directors as

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

, Abel Ferrara and

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

. His film credits include ''

Taxi Driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying ...

'', ''

'', '' The Rose'', '' New York Stories'', '' The Last Temptation of Christ'', '' Bad Lieutenant'', ''

True Romance ''True Romance'' is a 1993 American romantic crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. It features an ensemble cast led by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, with Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt ...

'' and '' Coyote Ugly''. In 2001, he played

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...

's father in the romantic drama '' Angel Eyes''. His television guest appearances include ''

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 investiga ...

'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...

'', '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', '' Spenser: For Hire'', ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...

'' and ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...

''. Argo lent his talents to seventy-five films and twenty-one television guest roles in total. Besides acting on the stage and screen another deep passion for Argo was country music, the actor at one time even traveling to the country music capital of the world (

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

) to cut several song demos.

Filmography

Among the films in which Argo had a role were the following: * '' Dealing'' (1972) as 2nd Cuban * '' Boxcar Bertha'' (1972) as McIver #1 * '' Unholy Rollers'' (1972) as Vinnie The Trainer * '' Mean Streets'' (1973) as Mario * ''

The Don Is Dead ''The Don Is Dead'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Christopher Trumbo, Michael Butler, and Marvin H. Albert, adapted from Albert's novel of the same name. It stars Anthony Quinn, Frederic Forrest, R ...

'' (1973) as Augie 'The Horse' * ''

The Terminal Man ''The Terminal Man'' is a novel by American writer Michael Crichton. It is his second novel under his own name and his twelfth overall, and is about the dangers of mind control. It was published in April 1972, and also serialized in ''Playboy'' ...

'' (1974) as Orderly * ''

'' (1976) as Melio, Bodega Clerk * ''

'' (1977) as Tony * ''

Which Way Is Up? ''Which Way is Up?'' is a 1977 American comedy film starring Richard Pryor and directed by Michael Schultz. It is a remake of the 1972 Italian comedy film ''The Seduction of Mimi''. Richard Pryor plays three roles: an orange picker who has two wo ...

'' (1977) as Angel * '' The Rose'' (1979) as Lockerman * '' Hanky Panky'' (1982) as Pallbearer * ''Romando'' (1982) as Don Piri * '' Falling in Love'' (1984) as Victor Rawlins * ''The Electric Chair'' (1985) as Comic * '' Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985) as Sergeant Taskal * '' After Hours'' (1985) as Diner Cashier * '' Off Beat'' (1986) as Leon * '' Raw Deal'' (1986) as Dangerous Man * '' Florida Straits'' (1986) as Pablo Cheruka * '' The Pick-up Artist'' (1987) as Harris * '' The Last Temptation of Christ'' (1988) as Peter, Apostle * ''

Her Alibi ''Her Alibi'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Charlie Peters and starring Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, William Daniels, and James Farentino. Plot Phil Blackwood (Selleck) is an American myster ...

'' (1989) as Avram * '' New York Stories'' (1989) as Cop (segment "Life Lessons") * '' Crimes and Misdemeanors'' (1989) as Detective * ''

'' (1990) as Lieutenant Roy Bishop * '' Quick Change'' (1990) as Mike Skelton * '' McBain'' (1991) as El Presidente * '' Shadows and Fog'' (1991) as Hacker's Vigilante #2 * '' Bad Lieutenant'' (1992) as Beat Cop * ''

'' (1993) as Lenny * '' Dangerous Game'' (1993) as Director of Photography * '' Household Saints'' (1993) as Lino Falconetti * ''Men Lie'' (1994) as Scott's Dad * ''

Monkey Trouble ''Monkey Trouble'' is a 1994 American comedy drama film directed by Franco Amurri and starring Thora Birch and Harvey Keitel. Amurri dedicated the film to his daughter Eva and named the film's protagonist after her. Plot In Los Angeles, nine-year- ...

'' (1994) as Charlie * '' Somebody to Love'' (1994) as Santa Claus * ''

Smoke Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-produc ...

'' (1995) as Vinnie * '' Blue in the Face'' (1995) as Vinnie * '' Condition Red'' (1995) as Victor Klein * '' The Funeral'' (1996) as Julius * ''

Next Stop Wonderland ''Next Stop Wonderland'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Brad Anderson, written by Anderson and Lyn Vaus, and starring Hope Davis and Alan Gelfant. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 1998, where it was n ...

'' (1998) as Frank * ''Going Nomad'' (1998) as Spiro * '' Lulu on the Bridge'' (1998) as Pierre * '' Side Streets'' (1998) as Albani Krug * ''

New Rose Hotel "New Rose Hotel" is a short story by William Gibson, first published in '' Omni'' in July 1984 and later included in his 1986 collection ''Burning Chrome''. Plot The story is set in a future time when huge megacorporations have gained enough in ...

'' (1998) as Portuguese Business Man * ''Fast Horses'' (1998) as Zack * ''

On the Run On the Run may refer to: * "On the run", a phrase often used to describe a fugitive, a person fleeing custody Literature * ''On the Run'' (novel), by Nina Bawden * On the Run (novel series), by Gordon Korman * ''On the Run'', a novel in the S ...

'' (1999) as Man Shaving * '' Coming Soon'' (1999) as Mr. Neipris * '' Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai'' (1999) as Vinny * ''

Blue Moon A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: the third of four full moons in a season. The phrase in modern usage has nothing to do with the actual color of the Moon, although a visually blue Moon (the Moon ...

'' (2000) as Tony * ''

The Yards ''The Yards'' is a 2000 American crime film directed by James Gray, written by Gray and Matt Reeves, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron and James Caan. Set in the commuter rail yards in New York City ("the yards"), ...

'' (2000) as Paul Lazarides * '' Fast Food Fast Women'' (2000) as Seymour * ''Love = (Me)^3'' (2000) as Mr. Carrera * '' Coyote Ugly'' (2000) as Pete * '' Double Whammy'' (2001) as Lieutenant Spigot * '' 'R Xmas'' (2001) as Louie * '' Angel Eyes'' (2001) as Carl Pogue * ''Queenie in Love'' (2001) as Horace * ''The Man Who Knew Belle Starr'' (2001) as Diner Owner * ''

Don't Say a Word ''Don't Say a Word'' is a 2001 American psychological thriller film starring Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy and Sean Bean based on the novel ''Don't Say a Word'' by Andrew Klavan. It was directed by Gary Fleder and written by Anthony Peckham ...

'' (2001) as Syd Simon * ''Bridget'' (2002) as Grant * ''Anything But Love'' (2002) as Sal * ''Dirt'' (2003) as El Gringo Nestor * ''Personal Sergeant'' (filmed in 2003; released in 2004) as Chuck Manetta * ''Lustre'' (filmed in 2003; released in 2005) as Hugo (final film role)

Later years

Shortly before his death, Argo realized a lifelong dream of performing on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

when he was cast as Santiago, the owner of a cigar factory, in the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

-winning drama '' Anna in the Tropics''. In his last on-screen role, in the independent film ''Lustre'' by director Art Jones, Argo portrayed a New York City loan shark who retreats from his everyday, hard-nosed rants to a deeply spiritual disconnect from the world. The film was released in 2005. Argo died in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York d/b/a as Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent's, or SVCMC) was a healthcare system, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, locally referred to a ...

on April 7, 2004 from complications of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...

at age 69. His body was donated to

Manhattan College Manhattan College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university in the Bronx, New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers) as an academy for day students, it was la ...

for medical science. In 2005, Electronic music group Bodega System released a 12" vinyl LP which includes the track "Victor Argo".

References

External links