It’s true: the sunken-eyed character actor who became famous for his turns in The Godfather, Fish, and Barney Miller is dead at the age of 94. He died on Tuesday while sleeping at his daughter’s home in Woodland Park, New Jersey.
Vigoda’s big break came in 1972’s The Godfather after working for years in the theater and television community of New York City, and from then on always worked, most steadily as Detective Fish in Fish and Barney Miller. Recently, he’s become kind of a consummate funny-man legend in Hollywood, appearing on Conan O’Brien’s show as Abe Vi-yoda, and also himself, plenty of times.
Vigoda became Internet-famous for being reported dead several times, starting back in 1982. This is why such a thing as the pretty disturbing “Abe Vigoda Status” was created. (Yes, sad to say it has been updated.)
Vigoda is survived by his daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, who has said that he simply died of old age. “The man was never sick,” she said.