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Telly Savalas Biography

Birth Name:

Aristotle Savalas

Birth Place:

Garden City, New York, United States

Profession

Actor, director

Fast Facts

Began his acting career in 1959 when an agent asked for an actor who could pull off a foreign accent
Savalas auditioned and got the part
Shaved his head for his portrayal of Pontius Pilate in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and decided to keep the look permanently
Recorded two albums, Telly and Who Loves Ya, Baby, during the height of Kojak's popularity in the '70s
His shirtless appearance on the cover of People in 1974 marked the first time the magazine sold over 1 million copies
Co-owned the racehorse Telly's Pop, which won several major events, including the Del Mar Stakes and Santa Anita Derby
Reprised his Kojak role for a series of ABC Saturday Mystery Movie specials in the '80s

1978Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama: nominated
1977Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama: nominated
1977People's Choice Awards-Favorite Male TV Performer: winner
1976Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama: winner
1976People's Choice Awards-Favorite Male TV Performer: winner
1975Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
1975Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama: winner
1975People's Choice Awards-Favorite Male TV Performer: winner
1974Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: winner
1973Emmy-Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1966Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: nominated
1963Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: nominated
1962Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated