American actor Val Bisoglio, who stared in the iconic 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, has died aged 95 at his home.
The New York City native famously played John Travolta’s onscreen dad in the hit dance drama, directed by John Badham.
Widow Bonnie Bisoglio broke the news on Saturday night, and confirmed he passed away in his home in Los Olivos, California.
The established actor has also played roles in Quincy M.E in the ’70s and ’80s as well as his role as Sergeant Salvatore Pernelli in the American war comedy-drama TV series M*A*S*H.
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
The grieving wife confirmed the terrible news to Variety Magazine, with the publication reporting on Saturday: “[The] character actor whose credits across film, television and theatre date back more than 50 years, died on Oct. 18.”
The esteemed actor first started his career in the theatre scene and regularly worked with Arthur Penn in his Shakespeare In The Park productions.
The father-of-three first broke into the TV industry when he turned 30 with a role on the popular crime soap The Edge Of Night.
(Image: Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
But just 10 years later, he made his debut film appearance in Hot Rod Hullaballoo, which centred around a demolition derby.
And it wasn’t just film he found his feet in, as Val went on to star on Broadway as a cop in the crime drama Wait Until Dark and starred alongside Lee Remick and Robert DuVall.
As the years went on, the star continued to secure long-running roles in The Doctors as well as shorter guest appearances in a number of famous programmes.
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
Some of the American classics he acted on include The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Love American Style, All In The Family, Barney Miller and Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
But by far his most-remembered role came in Saturday Night Fever in which the doting dad clipped his son on the head as he complained: “Watch the hair.”
The loving actor leaves behind his wife Bonnie, whom he married in 1996, and their three sons Joseph Valentino Bisoglio, Scott Chapman and Casey DeFranco.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
