Vic Tayback

Vic Tayback Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: January 6, 1930

Death Date: May 25, 1990

Birth Place: New York, New York

Burly, likable actor Vic Tayback was born in Brooklyn but his family moved to Burbank, California, when he was a teenager. There, Tayback would spend the rest of his life and career as an actor. For almost the first 20 years of his career Tayback managed to land only one-off appearances on TV shows like "Mission: Impossible" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and a few roles in feature films. In 1974 Martin Scorsese cast him as restaurant owner Mel Sharples in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." The hit movie led to a similarly popular TV show of the same name, starring Linda Lavin as hard-working waitress Alice, while Tayback reprised his role as Sharples.

The series ran for 200 episodes from 1976 through 1985, and became what Tayback is most remembered for in his career. After the show ended he had a number of roles on television and in films, mostly notably in a famous Aqua Velva commercial with baseball star Pete Rose. Tayback died of a sudden heart attack in 1990.

Credits

Horseplayer

Actor
George Samsa
Movie
1991

Criminal Act

Actor
The Exterminator
Movie
1989

All Dogs Go to HeavenStream

Voice
Carface
Movie
1989
44%

Beverly Hills Body Snatchers

Actor
Lou
Movie
1989

The Three Kings

Actor
Harold
Movie
1987

George Carlin: Playin with Your HeadStream

Actor
The Bad Guys
Stand-up
1986

Weekend Warriors

Actor
Sgt. Burdge
Movie
1986

MacGyverStream

Guest Star
Series
1985

Treasure Island

Actor
Long John Silver
Movie
1985

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Michael Landon

Self
Show
1984

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Sal Domino
Series
1984

Finder of Lost Loves

Guest Star
Series
1984

Hotel

Guest Star
Soap
1983

T.J. HookerStream

Guest Star
Series
1982

Follow Me If You Dare

Actor
Ted Randall
Movie
1982

FloStream

Guest Star
Series
1980

This Year's Blonde

Actor
Harry Cohn
Movie
1980

Tut and Tuttle

Actor
Horembeb
Movie
1980

Portrait of a Stripper

Actor
Harry Parkins
Movie
1979

Through the Magic Pyramid

Actor
Horembeb
Movie
1979

The Comedy ShopStream

Guest
Series
1978

Fantasy Island

Guest Star
Series
1978

Getting Married

Actor
Burt Carboni
Movie
1978

The Cheap DetectiveStream

Actor
Lieutenant DiMaggio
Movie
1978
53%

Little Ladies of the Night

Actor
Finch
Movie
1977

The Choirboys

Actor
Zoony
Movie
1977

AliceStream

Actor
Mel Sharples
Series
1976

AliceStream

Director
Series
1976

The Practice

Guest Star
Show
1976

The Big Bus

Actor
Goldie
Movie
1976

Dark Victory

Actor
Archie
Movie
1976

Special Delivery

Actor
Wyatt
Movie
1976

Mansion of the Doomed

Actor
Detective Simon
Movie
1976

The Shaggy D.A.

Actor
Eddie Roschak
Movie
1976

No Deposit, No Return

Actor
Big Joe
Movie
1976

The Blue Knight

Guest Star
Show
1975

Bronk

Guest Star
Series
1975

Barney MillerStream

Guest Star
Mr. Stavochek
Series
1975

Lepke

Actor
Lucky Luciano
Movie
1975

Report to the Commissioner

Actor
Lt. Seidensticker
Movie
1975

TattletalesStream

Guest
Game Show
1974

The GamblerStream

Actor
One
Movie
1974
82%

Thunderbolt and LightfootStream

Actor
Mario Pinski
Movie
1974
88%

Alice Doesn't Live Here AnymoreStream

Actor
Mel
Movie
1974
91%

Partners in Crime

Actor
Movie
1973

The Alpha Caper

Actor
Policeman
Movie
1973

The Blue Knight

Actor
Neil Grogan
Movie
1973

The Streets of San FranciscoStream

Guest Star
Sgt. Norm Haseejian
Series
1972

The RookiesStream

Guest Star
Series
1972

ColumboStream

Guest Star
Sam Franklin
Series
1971
84%

Cannon

Guest Star
Sam Batson
Series
1971

Sangre y Encaje

Actor
Movie
1971

They Call It Murder

Actor
Jeff Poland
Movie
1971

Blood and Lace

Actor
Calvin Carruthers
Movie
1971

The Partridge FamilyStream

Guest Star
Rocco
Series
1970

The Mary Tyler Moore ShowStream

Guest Star
Officer Jackson
Series
1970

McCloud

Guest Star
Harry 'Steam Hammer' McNair
Series
1970

The Butchers

Actor
Smedke
Movie
1970

The Courtship of Eddie's FatherStream

Guest Star
Series
1969

Here Come the BridesStream

Guest Star
Larsen
Series
1968

The Good Guys

Guest Star
Steve
Show
1968

Mod Squad

Guest Star
Dean Wilcox
Series
1968

With Six You Get EggrollStream

Actor
Truck Driver
Movie
1968

BullittStream

Actor
Pete Ross
Movie
1968
98%

MannixStream

Guest Star
Miles Stark
Series
1967

Cimarron Strip

Guest Star
Show
1967

Family AffairStream

Guest Star
Series
1966

The Felony Squad

Guest Star
Tony Oliver
Show
1966

Star TrekStream

Guest Star
Jojo Krako
Series
1966
80%

That GirlStream

Guest Star
Series
1966

Love on a Rooftop

Guest Star
Show
1966

Get SmartStream

Guest Star
Series
1965

I Dream of JeannieStream

Guest Star
Turhan
Series
1965

F TroopStream

Guest Star
Series
1965

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.Stream

Guest Star
Series
1964
100%

BewitchedStream

Guest Star
Mayor's Chauffeur
Series
1964

Love with the Proper StrangerStream

Actor
Cye (uncredited)
Movie
1963
82%

Five Minutes to Live

Actor
Fred Dorella
Movie
1961

BonanzaStream

Guest Star
Series
1959

RawhideStream

Guest Star
Series
1959

77 Sunset Strip

Guest Star
Bearded Rebel
Series
1958

Alfred Hitchcock PresentsStream

Actor
Series
1955

GunsmokeStream

Guest Star
Bill Hankins
Series
1955