Gregory Rozakis

Gregory Rozakis (January 30, 1943 – August 24, 1989) was an American character actor and playwright, perhaps best remembered as Kim Stanley's son in William Inge's play, Natural Affection, the Christ-like Armenian immigrant in Elia Kazan's America America, and as Charlie Chaplin in Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, New York University, and studied with Lee Strasberg.

In 1963, he made his Broadway debut in William Inge's Natural Affection, alongside Kim Stanley, Harry Guardino, and Tom Bosley.

In an interview published later that year in the magazine, Teen Hit Parader, Rozakis confessed that, as much as he enjoyed his current success, in the long run, he viewed acting as merely the means to an end. In fact, I'd like to achieve the security of a successful actor, then devote myself exclusively to writing. But right now, I'm more valuable to myself as an actor than as a playwright. I'm selling my youth on the stage and screen. This country has a fetish for youth – People can't seem to get enough of it. It's almost pathetic. I'm not so good-looking, but I am young — and I'm not such a bad actor.

In 1970, Rozakis's modern adaptation of Euripides' Orestes, starring Rozakis and, with music by Mark Shangold and lyrics by Andrew Amic-Angelo, debuted in 1970, and was revived in February 1973

In his penultimate feature film, The Cotton Club, Rozakis finally had the opportunity to realize one of his longstanding ambitions, that of portraying one of his earliest role models as a multi-hyphenate, Charlie Chaplin, one of those, who, as he put it (also citing Orson Welles), "did everything".

Rozakis's final film, John Patrick Shanley's Five Corners, featured Rozakis as one of a pair of neighborhood cops not quite up to the task of rescuing Jodie Foster's character from the neighborhood bad egg, Heinz (John Turturro). His portrayal—along Turturro's and that of Rose Gregorio as Heinz's mother—was dubbed one of the film's "especially great performances" by Cleveland Plain Dealer entertainment editor, Joanna Connors.

A few months after Five Corners''' release, Rozakis's name appeared in the New York Daily News, as a private citizen and Brooklyn resident, offering his emphatic thumbs up—and unabashed "love letter"–to recently crowned Oscar-winner, Moonstruck's Cher Bono.[As] an actor with many years' experience, I've always maintained that an Academy Award should be given those actors and actresses not only who give a superbrilliant performance in film, but whose characterization and performance somehow make us feel like a zillion dollars and grateful we were born. As brilliant as Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, and poor, dear Sally Kirkland were in their respective movies, it was only Cher who made me feel like a zillion and happy that I was born. Cher, this is my love letter to you! -Greg Rozakis, Brooklyn

Personal life and death On August 24, 1989, Rozakis died of complications from HIV at Brooklyn's New York Methodist Hospital, survived by his mother Stella, and by a sister, Marcella. His remains are interred at Green-wood Cemetery. Ep. "Chalk Marks on a Brick Wall" (1962) as The Defenders Ep. "The Naked Heiress" (1962) as Club Patron (uncredited) Ep. "Loophole" (1963) as Megland The DuPont Show of the Week Ep. "Ride with Terror" (1963) as Artie Connors America America (1963) as Hohannes Gardashian The Danny Thomas Hour Ep. "Two for Penny" (1968) as Yani The Best of Everything Eps. 1.112 thru 1.114 (1970) as Squirrel Death Wish (1974) as Spraycan The Gambler (1974) as Joe Starsky and Hutch Ep. "Pariah" (1975) as Joseph Tramaine Ep. "Death in a Different Place" (1977) as Nick Hunter The Wide World of Mystery Ep. "Too Easy to Kill" (1975) as Tony Cannon Ep. "A Touch of Venom" (1975) as Warren Michaelson Abduction (1975) as Frank Lawson Baretta Ep. "Murder for Me" (1976) as Nica Petros Police Story Ep. "Two Frogs on a Mongoose" (1976) as Jessie Kojak Eps. "Kojac's Days", Pts. 1 & 2 (1977) as Frankie the Mouth Charlie's Angels Ep. "Disco Angels" (1979) as Mario Montero Kaz Ep. "Count Your Fingers" (1979) Eischied Ep. "Do They Really Have to Die?" (1979) as Mongo Lou Grant Ep. "Inheritance" (1980) as Jamal Azar The Last Married Couple in America (1980) as Party Guest Hart to Hart Ep. Death Set (1980) as Simon Below the Belt (1980) as Peddler The Million Dollar Face (1981) The Cotton Club (1984) as Charlie Chaplin Five Corners (1987) as Mazola As the World Turns Ep. "Lisa Learns a Shattering Truth" (1987) as Dr. Niarchos