Telly Savalas Biography

Fast Facts

• A long-term resident of the Sheraton-Universal Hotel in Hollywood, the hotel would eventually name their bar after the actor following his death
• Died from complications due to cancer of the bladder and prostate
• Worked for the State Department as a host of "Your Voice of America․"
• Born to Greek parents, he only spoke Greek until the age of 18 when he learned English after enrolling at Columbia University
• Det․ Kojak's onscreen affinity for lollipops was originally written into the series to accomodate Savalas' apparent sweet tooth
• Initially got into the entertainment via network news as the executive producer of the "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" before venturing to Hollywood to pursue a career in front of the camera
• Made more than 50 guest appearances on numerous TV series throughout the '50s and '60s
• His most famed role was that of the titular detective on CBS series "Kojak․"
• Was a lifeguard as a teenager, and once failed to save a man from drowning, an event that he claimed haunted him throughout his adult life
• Godfather of Jennifer Aniston