George Memmoli

George Memmoli (August 3, 1938 – May 20, 1985) was an actor and founding member of the improv troupe Ace Trucking Company.

Career

Memmoli was a friend and frequent collaborator of director Martin Scorsese, appearing as a pool hall owner in Mean Streets, and also appearing in New York, New York and American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince.

In other roles, Memmoli played Philbin in Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise, Jenkins in Paul Schrader's Blue Collar, the engineer Earl in the first season of the McLean Stevenson sitcom Hello, Larry, and a small but memorable role in Rocky as the ice rink worker who allows Rocky and Adrian their first date on the ice.

While on the set of Blue Collar, co-star Richard Pryor hit Memmoli's head with a chair and fractured his skull. As a result, Memmoli filed a $1 million lawsuit against Pryor.

Memmoli's last TV appearance was as Paul "the Wall" Srignoli in the Hill Street Blues episode "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall," which aired on December 6, 1984. His final screen appearance was in the 1985 film The Sure Thing, as Uncle Nunzi.

Death

In 1975, Memmoli suffered an injury during a stunt while filming a scene for The Farmer, and had to turn down a role in Taxi Driver during his recovery period.

Memmoli died on May 20, 1985, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 46. In a 2007 interview, Scorsese attributed Memmoli's death to the injury he received on set.

Filmography