Telly Savalas

Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas an American film and television actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Noted for his resonant, deep voice  and bald head, Savalas is perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Theo Kojak in the police-drama series Kojak (1973-1978). He also released the British one-hit wonder song "If", which became a UK number-one single in 1975. Savalas died on January 22, 1994, just one day after his 72nd birthday, of complications of cancer of the bladder and prostate at the Sheraton-Universal Hotel in Universal City, California. Savalas had a minor physical handicap in that his left index finger was deformed.  This deformed digit was often indicated on screen; the Kojak episode "Conspiracy of Fear" in which a close-up of Savalas holding his chin in his hand clearly shows the permanently bent finger.