Trivia
. Early in his career, he played mainly brutish criminals until he changed his image completely in the 1970s when he was cast as the righteous police detective Kojak.
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He used off-script phrases and mottos in greek during filming.
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His brother, George Savalas, starred in "Kojak" (1973) with him.
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Father of Christina Savalas (with Katherine); Candice Savalas and Penelope Savalas (with Marilyn); Nicholas Savalas (with Sally); and Christian Savalas and Ariana Savalas (with Julie).
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On January 21 1994, he celebrated his 70th and last birthday with his family, friends and colleagues at the Universal Sheraton Inn in Universal City, California, 1 day before his death.
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Had a fear of flying.
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Was originally slated to play Luke in Cool Hand Luke (1967), but the producers were unable to wait for him to complete his boat trip from Europe to the U.S. Therefore, Paul Newman played the role instead.
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Early in his career, he directed stage plays at a theater in Connecticut.
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He was an accomplished poker player.
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His son Nicholas' half-sister Nicollette Sheridan and his former Kojak co-star, Kevin Dobson both starred in the popular 80s soap opera, "Knots Landing" (1979).
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Before becoming an actor, he had many odd jobs, from selling newspapers to becoming a lifeguard.
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Was a member of Company C, 12th Medical Training Battalion, 4th Medical Training Regiment at Camp Pickett, Virginia.
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Was the second of 5 children.
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Was an avid golfer and swimmer.
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Purchased a house in the Palm Desert because he enjoyed playing golf so much.
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Interred at the George Washington Section of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California, USA.
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Attended Columbia University in New York, New York.
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When he worked as a lifeguard, he failed to save a man from drowning, and was troubled by the memory forever after.
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Was involved in a serious car accident in Virginia, during the Army.
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Met his first wife (Katherine) at a Greek dance while attending Columbia University.
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Hosted the popular radio program, "Telly's Coffeehouse," in the early 1950s.
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Top part of one of his index fingers was missing.
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The character design for villain Lex Luther in the 1996 animated Superman series was loosely based on Savalas.
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Reason why he sucked on a lolly-pop during "Kojak", was to help him to quit smoking.
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Graduated from Sewaneka High School in Florak Park, New York, in 1942.
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Met his last wife, Julie Hovland, on the set of "Kojak", while he was traveling with her to Minnesota in 1977.
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Would always refused to talk about his tenure during World War II.
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