Actor Robert Loggia of 'Scarface' and 'Big' Dies at 85

Robert Loggia, the New York-born character actor best known for his turns as a drug lord in “Scarface” and for dancing on a jumbo keyboard with Tom Hanks in “Big,” died today as his home in Los Angeles at age 85.

His widow, Audrey, confirmed the actor’s death to Variety.

Loggia was nominated for a supporting-actor Oscar for his role as a private detective in “Jagged Edge.” On the small screen, he scored an Emmy nomination for his work as an FBI agent in “Mancuso FBI.” He received another Emmy nod for a guest appearance on the sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle.”

Loggia began making guest spots on TV in the 1950s and later became a regular on “Studio One in Hollywood” then played the role of Elfego Baca in the Disney shorts “The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca,” which were part of “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.”

He went on to make dozens of appearances in shows including “The Untouchables,” “The Defenders,” “Route 66,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Wild, Wild West” and “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.”

His big screen credits include “Trail of the Pink Panther,” “Curse of the Pink Panther,” “Prizzi’s Honor,” “Armed and Dangerous,” “Gladiator” and “Independence Day.”

City News Service