American actor (1930-1990)
Victor E. Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is known for his portrayal as Mel Sharples in the television series
Alice (1976–1985) and his appearances in
The Love Boat (1977–1987). The former earned him two consecutive
Golden Globe Awards and a
Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Early life
Tayback was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Helen (née Hanood) and Najeeb James Tayback. His parents were immigrants from
Aleppo ,
Syria .
[1]
[2] He moved with his family to Burbank, California during his teenage years and attended Burbank High School, from which he graduated in 1947. He also attended Glendale Community College and the Frederick A. Speare School of Radio and TV Broadcasting.
[3]
Career
Tayback served in the
United States Navy before beginning his acting career at the age of 25. A lifetime member of the
Actors Studio ,
[4] he was a familiar face on television in the 1960s and 1970s, appearing on numerous series, including
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ,
Star Trek ,
Bonanza ,
Here Come the Brides ,
That Girl ,
Gunsmoke ,
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ,
The Partridge Family ,
All in the Family ,
Fantasy Island ,
Columbo , and
The Love Boat . He also appeared in many films such as
Bullitt (1968),
Papillon (1973),
The Gambler (1974),
The Cheap Detective (1978), and
All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), as well as more than 25 stage productions, including
Twelve Angry Men ,
The Diary of Anne Frank ,
Death of a Salesman , and
Brighton Beach Memoirs . He was the co-founder of the theater troupe
Company of Angels .
Tayback's most famous role was diner owner Mel Sharples in both the film
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and the television series
Alice (1976–1985). He was the only actor in the original film to reprise his role for the rest of the series.
[5] For the role, he was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award in 1978 and won two consecutive
Golden Globe Awards in 1980 and 1981.
Personal life
Tayback was married to Sheila Maureen Barnard (1932–2001) from March 16, 1963, until his death on May 25, 1990. They had a son, Christopher (born 1963), who is a business trial lawyer and former prosecutor.
Death
Tayback died of a
heart attack at age 60 at Glendale Adventist Medical Center on May 25, 1990.
[6]
[7]
[8] He is buried at
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) .
Filmography
Television
Alice (1976-1985) as Mel Sharples
Griff as Captain Barney Marcus. Series starred
Lorne Greene in title role and
Ben Murphy
Khan! as Lieutenant Gubbins
I Dream Of Jeannie as Turhan In the episode "This Is Murder"
Buckskin (Episode: "The Battle of Gabe Pruitt") – Claude
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Season 4 Episode 7: "A Man with a Problem") (1958) – Man Talking to Cab Driver
77 Sunset Strip (1960) (Episode: Trouble in the Middle East) Bearded Rebel
Rawhide (Episode: "The Gray Rock Hotel") (1965) – Monte
F Troop (Episode: "Corporal Agarn's Farewell To The Troops") (1965) – Bill Colton
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Episode: "The Re-Collectors Affair") (1965) – Sargent
Daniel Boone (Episode: "Onatha") (1966) – Hongas
Family Affair (Episode: 8 Season 1 "Who's Afraid of Nural Shpeni?") (1966) - Policeman
Gunsmoke (Episode: "Ladies From St. Louis") (1967) – Gaines
Get Smart (Episode: "Appointment in Sahara") (1967) – Jamal
The Monkees (Episodes: "Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers") (1966–1967) - George
The Monkees (1966) – Rocco in S1:E16, "Son of a Gypsy"
The Monkees (1967) – Chuche in S2:E5, "Art, for Monkees' Sake"
Here Come the Brides (recurring logger) (1968-1970)
Star Trek: The Original Series (Episode: "
A Piece of the Action ") (1968) – Jojo Krako
That Girl (1968) (Season 3 Episode 12) - Max
Lancer (Episode: "Devil's Blessing") (1969) - Porter
The Bill Cosby Show (Episode: "The Fatal Phone Call") (1969) - Calvin
Bonanza (Episode 358 "Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing". Season 11 Episode 25) (1970) - Everett Gaskell
The Partridge Family (Episode: Danny & The Mob) 1971
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Episode: "Second Story Story") (1971) – Officer Jackson
Bewitched (Episode: "The Good Fairy Strikes Again") (1971) – Officer #1
Columbo (Episode: "Suitable for Framing") (1971) – Sam Franklin
The F.B.I. (Episode: "The Natural") (1971) - Ed Larch
The F.B.I. (Episode: "Dark Journey") (1972) - Neil Parks
Gunsmoke (Episode: "The Fugitives S18E7") (1972)- Bill Hankins
Arnie (Episode: "Boom or Bust") (1972) – Sergeant
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (Episode: "Is This Operation Necessary?") (1972) – Frank Wells
Emergency! (Episode: "Boot") (1973) – Truck Driver.
All in the Family (Episode: "Et Tu, Archie?") (1974) – Joe Tucker
Barney Miller (Episode: "Stakeout", "The Social Worker") (1975) – Mr. Savocheck / Master Forger
The Practice (Episode: "The Choice") (1976) – Frankie Nyles
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (Episode: 29, Season: 1) (1976)
Hawaii Five-O (Episode: "Bones of Contention" ; "Angel in Blue") (1975–1978) – Martin Lynch / Parmel
The Eddie Capra Mysteries (Episode: "How Do I Kill Thee?") (1978) – Logan
$weepstake$ (Episode: "Billy, Wally and Ludmilla, and Theodore") (1979) – Sergeant Yarbrough
The Love Boat (Episode: "Friends & Lovers; Sergeant Bull; Miss Mother") (1980) – Sergeant Harry Beluski
Flo (Episode: "What Are Friends For?") (1981) – Mel Sharples
Fantasy Island (1979–1983, Multiple) – George Walters / Laura Walters / Norman Atkins / Chet Nolan / Melvyn Mews
T. J. Hooker (Episode: "Hooker's War") (1982) – ieutenant Pete Benedict
Hotel (Episode: "Relative Loss") (1983) – Wallace Egan
Finder of Lost Loves (Episode: "Maxwell Ltd: Finder of Lost Loves Pilot") (1984) – Thomas Velasco
Murder, She Wrote (Episode: "One Good Bid Deserves a Murder") (1986) – Sal Domino
Crazy Like a Fox (1986)
The Love Boat (1977–1987, Multiple) – Himself / Jack Hamilton / Shelley Sommers / 'Dutch' Boden / Sergeant Harry Beluski / Harry Stewart
Adderly (1987) – Gregorin
Tales from the Darkside (Episodes: "The New Man", (as Alan Coombs) Season 1, 1984, and "Basher Malone" (as Tippy Ryan) Season 4, 1988)
MacGyver (1990, Episode: "Jenny's Chance") – George Henderson (final television appearance)
Awards and nominations
References
^ Oliver, Myrna (1990-05-26).
"Vic Tayback; Actor Best Known as Mel in 'Alice' TV Series" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2023-12-23 .
^
"TV'S 'MEL' DIES OF HEART ATTACK" . Greensboro News and Record . 1990-05-25. Retrieved 2023-12-23 .
^
"VIC TAYBACK, WHO PLAYED MEL IN 'ALICE' TV SERIES, DIES" . Washington Post .
ISSN
0190-8286 . Retrieved 2023-12-23 .
^ Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980".
A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio . New York: MacMillan. p.
280 .
ISBN
978-0-0254-2650-4 .
^
Diane Ladd joined Alice mid-series playing a different character and
Alfred Lutter reprised his film role as Tommy for the pilot episode only .
^ Oliver, Myrna (May 26, 1990).
"Vic Tayback; Actor Best Known as Mel in 'Alice' TV Series" .
Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 3, 2020 .
^
"Vic Tayback Dies; Actor, 60, Was Mel In the 'Alice' Series" .
The New York Times . May 26, 1990. Retrieved July 3, 2020 .
^
"Vic Tayback, Who Played Mel In 'Alice' TV Series, Dies" .
The Washington Post . May 26, 1990. Retrieved July 3, 2020 .
Further reading
Putt, Jr., Barry M. (2019). Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel's Greasy Spoon (A Guide to the Feature Film, the TV Series, and More) . Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media.
ISBN
978-1629334264 .
External links
International National Other