Val Bisoglio (character actor), who played John Travolta’s hothead father in Saturday Night Fever has died.
His widow Bonnie revealed to Variety on Saturday that her husband passed on this Monday at the age of 95 in his own home.
On television he made memorable turns on programs ranging from M*A*S*H and Quincy, ME to eventually The Sopranos which was his final screen credit.
Dearly departed: Character actor Val Bisoglio, who played John Travolta’s hothead father in Saturday Night Fever (pictured), has died
Italo Valentino bisoglio was born in New York City to Italian immigrants in 1926. He began his career in the theatre scene.
He was also a part of Shakespeare In The Park’s cast, and also played a role as an immigrant in Arthur Miller’s drama A View From The Bridge.
According to his IMDb profile, he made his screen-debut in the year of 30 with a role on The Edge Of Night, a crime soap.
He worked on shows such as The Doctors And The Nurses, and The Cool World, and then in 1966 he achieved two more milestones.
Remember when: Barney Miller was a beloved series that he acted in. He is pictured here in 1975 with Gregory Sierra and Max Gail.
His film debut was in Hot Rod Hullaballoo in the year he turned forty. It was a movie about a demolition race that also features Marsha Mason, Neil Simon’s future bride.
He also starred in Wait Until Dark, a crime drama starring Lee Remick & Robert DuVall that year.
Lee portrayed the role of a blind lady who discovers she has a heroin stash in a doll. She then has to outmaneuver all the men who are trying to find it.
Mainstay on the airwaves: His other TV credits include The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Love American Style. He is also pictured with Darren McGavin on Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
He kept his TV work going over the years. He was able to secure a long-running role on The Doctors and shorter guest roles on a number famous programs.
Some of his most beloved series include The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV), Love American Style (TV), All In The Family (TV), Barney Miller (TV), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV).
On M*A*S*H he had a three-episode arc as a cook and on Quincy, ME he played the proprietor of a restaurant where the title medical examiner often eats.
Tension: Val’s best-remembered film role came in 1977 when he played John Travolta’s father who in one iconic scene smacks his son on the head and is asked to ‘watch the hair’
His film roles included the role of a reverend and a part in Linda Lovelace For President, a 1970s comedy where the famous porn star was a parody of her.
Val’s most memorable film role was in 1977, when he played John Travolta’s father. In one scene, he smacks his son on his head and asks him to ‘watch the tresses.’
Val is survived by Bonnie, whom he married 25 years ago. His sons Scott Chapman, Joseph Bisoglio and Casey DeFranco are also survivors.