We’re sad to report that beloved actor Mark Margolis died at 83 on Thursday. He is known for his show-stopping roles in movies like Scarface and Darren Aronofsky’s Pi, Requiem For A Dream, and The Fountain. On the television side of the industry, Margolis’ credits are incredibly impressive, covering an expansive spectrum of memorable roles and one-off characters. A valuable film, television, and stage player, he’s best known for his break-out role of Alberto “The Shadow” in Scarface and recently as the character Hector “Tio” Salamanca in the TV series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Margolis passed away August 3, 2023, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in his beloved and longtime home of New York City, with his wife Jacqueline and Morgan at his bedside, following a short illness.
“He was one of a kind. We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him,” said Robert Kolker of Red Letter Entertainment, his manager since 2007.
Margolis was born in Philadelphia, PA on November 26, 1939, son of Fanya and Isidore Margolis. After briefly attending Temple University before moving to New York City to study acting, Margolis trained under the watchful eye of Stella Adler. Determined to become a memorable presence in the action space, Margolis poured everything he had into notable stage productions like Infidel Caesar. Hoping to inspire others to bare their souls on stage, Margolis founded Blue Dome. This touring theater company performed innovatory shows, including Antonin Artaud’s The Conquest of Mexico, at colleges and universities across the United States.
With Blue Dome established, Margolis returned to stages for over fifty Off-Broadway plays, including Uncle Sam and The Golem. He also performed in Tony Kushner’s The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to The Scriptures and A Bright Room Called Day.
After moving to television, Margolis owned every role he touched, regardless of size or scale. His most notable roles include portraying characters for shows like Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, including The Equalizer, Oz, Kings, and FX’s American Horror Story: Asylum. Other television credits include Crossing Jordan, Californication, Person of Interest, Fox’s Gotham, and Showtime’s The Affair.
Margolis performed in over seventy films across forty years. Margolis joins Darren Aronofsky for several of the filmmaker’s works, including Noah, Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, The Fountain, and Pi. He also plays Carmine Conti in Peter Moffat’s crime thriller Your Honor for his final role.
We’re big fans of Mr. Margolis and wish his family, friends, and fans the best as they heal from this unfortunate loss. We’ll treasure Mr. Margolis’ performances and wish him peace in the Great Hereafter.