Eli Wallach Passes Away
by Shannon KeirnanEli Wallach, the award-winning character actor with many faces, died Tuesday in his family's home. He was 98 years old.
Wallach, who recieved an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement in 2010, is survived by his wife of 66 years, his son Peter, daughters Roberta and Katherine, and grandchildren.
While younger film fans may recognize him as Arthur Abbott in "The Holiday," Wallach has been gracing the screen and stage for over 60 years, a Tony and Emmy award winner.
Probably best known for his appearance in westerns, Wallach appeared in "The Magnificent Seven" as Calvera, head of a Mexican gang, and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," as the "ugly" component, Tuco.
He also appeared in John Huston's "The Misfits," based on an Arthur Miller screenplay, alongside Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. In "How to Steal a Million" he stars with Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole.
During "This Property Is Condemned," Wallach met an actress named Anne Jackson. The two married in 1948 and never separated.
In the 1960's, he even appeared as Mr. Freeze in an episode of "Batman," a role, he joked, that garnered him more fan mail than anything else.
In 2010, Wallach's honorary Oscar was awarded for his ability to become "the quintessential chameleon, effortlessly inhabiting a wide range of characters, while putting his inimitable stamp on every role."
Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of Wallach.