Actor Ben Gazzara Dies at 81

Ben Gazzara

Sad news from New York's Bellevue Hospital. 81 year old actor, Ben Gazzara died, Friday, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Family members were at his side.

He was the son of Italian immigrants and is best known for playing emotionally complex men and villains. He earned Tony nominations for his appearances in three Broadway productions of the 1970s, a revival of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and his dual roles in a double bill of the plays "Hughie" and "Duet.

On television, Gazzara starred for two seasons, 1965 to 1968, on the NBC prime-time drama "Run for Your Life." He played a wealthy, successful lawyer, Paul Bryan, who quits his practice after learning he has a terminal illness and then embarks on a globe-trotting quest for adventure before he dies. The role earned him two Emmy nominations as best actor in a lead dramatic role.

He picked up a third Emmy nod for his 1985 role in the made-for-TV movie "An Early Frost," and won an Emmy for his supporting work in the 2002 HBO television film "Hysterical Blindness."

Good actor - one of my favorites. He is survived by his third wife, Elke, and daughter Elizabeth.