Joseph Bologna (December 30, 1934 – August 13, 2017) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter notable for his roles in the comedy films My Favorite Year, Blame It on Rio, Big Daddy, and Transylvania 6-5000.
Life and career Bologna was born in the Parkville section of Brooklyn, New York, to an Italian-American family. He attended St. Rose of Lima school and Brown University, where he majored in art history. Bologna served with the United States Marine Corps. Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.
Bologna enjoyed a long run in film and television. His breakthrough film Lovers and Other Strangers adapted with his wife Renée Taylor from a play they co-wrote, was based on the true-life circumstances of organizing a wedding on short notice with the involvement of his Italian extended family and her Jewish clan. Several relatives performed as extras in the final cut. The couple shared an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. A year later, in 1971, the couple again collaborated to write and perform in the film Made for Each Other.
Bologna stayed close with his old-neighborhood aunts and uncles after becoming successful. Two of them were slightly famous on their own: His Uncle Pat was Blacky the Bootblack, whom Joseph Kennedy credited as his main influence when he sold all of his stock holdings in the summer of 1929 (the market crashed in October); his aunt Pauline was one of the better-known celebrity chefs, working for Jackie Gleason, Burt Reynolds and others.
Bologna's aunt Pauline chastised him for starring in Blame It on Rio (starring Michael Caine), which contained some nudity; Bologna remarked "Blame it on me. It's the last time I invite Aunt Pauline to a film premiere." In 1976, he starred in the television drama What Now, Catherine Curtis? with Lucille Ball. Other film roles for Bologna include: playing the brother of James Caan's widowed protagonist in Neil Simon's 1979 romance Chapter Two portraying the Sid Caesar-based character King Kaiser in the 1982 comedy hit My Favorite Year (which starred Peter O'Toole in the role of drunken film star Alan Swann, modeled after Errol Flynn) as Lenny Koufax, the frustrated father of perpetual slacker Sonny Koufax (Adam Sandler) in the 1999 comedy Big Daddy
In 1987, Bologna starred in the TV musical sitcom Rags to Riches as Nick Foley, a millionaire mogul turned adoptive father.
He played the mad scientist Dr. Malavaqua in the 1985 comedy Transylvania 6-5000.
From 1996 to 1998, Bologna voiced Inspector Dan Turpin in Superman: The Animated Series. In 2006, he voiced Mr. Start in Ice Age: The Meltdown.
He and his wife Renée Taylor had a son Gabriel. Gabriel became an actor, writer and director, and directed his father in his last film, "Tango Shalom". Taylor and Bologna starred together on stage and on television. Bologna played a love interest for his wife in the episode "Maternal Affairs" of the sitcom The Nanny in the sixth and final season, in which Taylor plays Sylvia, the mother of Fran Drescher's character. He also appeared in the first-season episode "The Gym Teacher" as a famous actor for whom Maxwell Sheffield once interned.
From 2012 until before his death in 2017, Bologna appeared in numerous roles on TV and in motion pictures, including roles on Funny or Die, stage productions, and national commercials.
In 2017, Bologna received the Night of 100 Stars Oscar Gala Lifetime Achievement Award from actor comedian Richard Lewis and his peers to celebrate his 60-year career and to recognize his efforts to save the Motion Picture Home and Hospital in 2012.
Death Bologna died on August 13, 2017, at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, from pancreatic cancer at age 82.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1971Made for Each OtherGiggyAlso writerNominated — Writers Guild Award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen (shared with Renee Taylor)1973Cops and RobbersJoe1974Mixed CompanyPete1976The Big BusDan Torrance1979Chapter TwoLeo SchneiderCredited as Joe Bologna1982My Favorite YearKing Kaiser1984Blame It on RioVictor LyonsThe Woman in RedJoey1985Transylvania 6-5000Dr. Malavaqua1989It Had to Be YouVito Pignoli1990Coupe de VilleUncle Phil1991Alligator II: The MutationDavid Hodges1992Jersey GirlBennie1993Deadly RivalsAnthony CanberraCredited as Joe Bologna1994Night of the ArcherReggie1996Love Is All There IsMikeAlso director/writerRingerGoldstein1997Heaven Before I Dieunknown roleCredited as Joe Bologna1999Baby Huey's Great Easter AdventureP.T. WynnsockiDirect-to-videoBig DaddyLenny KoufaxBlink of an EyeRenfro2001SquintMel KingmanShort filmDying on the EdgeCal Roman2002Returning Mickey SternMickey SternAlso producer2003Red ZonePrincipal PuglieseCredited as Joe Bologna2005Boynton Beach ClubHarry2006Ice Age: The MeltdownMr. StartVoice role A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.2007Dancing on the EdgeCaptain ReynoldsShort film2012Driving Me Crazy: Proof of ConceptMartin Brown2021Tango ShalomFather AnthonyReleased posthumously, also writer/producer
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1973Honor Thy FatherSalvatore "Bill" BonnanoTelevision filmActs of Love and Other ComediesArthur HellmanTelevision film, also writerPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for Comedy, Variety or Music (shared with Renee Taylor) (1973)Calucci's DepartmentSeries creator/writer, 3 episodes1974ParadiseDavid, Biff, TonyTelevision film, also writerNominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy/Variety, Variety or Music (shared with Renee Taylor) (1974)1975Three for TwoTelevision film, writer1976What Now, Catherine Curtis?PeterTelevision filmWoman of the YearSam RodinoTelevision film, also writer1977Good PennyTelevision film, director/writer/producer1979Torn Between Two LoversTed ContiTelevision film, credited as Joe Bologna1980A Cry for LoveTelevision film, writer1983One Cooks, the Other Doesn'tMax BooneTelevision filmLovers and Other StrangersTelevision film, writer/producerNominated — Academy Award for Best Original ScreenplayNominated — Writers Guild Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium (shared with Renee Taylor & David Zelag Goodman)1984BedroomsHost, Bill, DavidTelevision film, also director/writer1985CopacabanaRico CastelliTelevision film1986A Time to TriumphChuck HassanTelevision film, credited as Joe BolognaSinsSteve BryantRecurring role, 3 episodes1987Not Quite HumanGordon VogelTelevision filmThe New Hollywood SquaresHimself (Panelist)Episode: "03.23.1987"1987–1988Rags to RichesNick FoleyMain role, 20 episodes1988Win, Lose or DrawHimself (Contestant)Episode: "10.17.1988"1989Prime TargetRalph ManzaTelevision film1990Thanksgiving DayNed MonkTelevision film, credited as Joe Bologna1991Married... with ChildrenCharlie VerducciRecurring role, 2 episodesAn Inconvenient WomanArnie ZwillmanMiniseries, 2 episodesTop of the HeapCharlie VerducciMain role, 7 episodes1992Citizen CohnWalter WinchellTelevision filmThe Danger of Love: The Carolyn Warmus StoryDetective PollinoMurder, She WroteBrynie SullivanEpisode: "The Mole"1993Daddy DearestDr. Di NapoliEpisode: "Offensive Care"1994L.A. LawJack BarbaraEpisode: "Cold Cuts"Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in LoveAaron HumphreyTelevision film1994–1999The NannyDr. Joe Razzo, Alan Beck2 episodes1995Burke's LawMax Barnett, Leo BarnettEpisode: "Who Killed the Movie Mogul?"1996Caroline in the CityLou SpadaroEpisode: "Caroline and the Ex-Wife"1997Temporarily YoursMike DeAngeloEpisode: "By Design"The Don's AnalystVincent DeMarcoTelevision filmCosbyChuckEpisode: "Older and Out"1997–1998Superman: The Animated SeriesDan TurpinVoice, 12 episodes1998JennyBernieEpisode: "A Girl's Gotta Come Through in a Clutch"The Simple LifePhillip DevineEpisode: "The Luke & Sara Show"AstoriaUnknown roleTelevision film1999Marital LawAlistair TempleEpisode: "24 Hours"2000Chicken Soup for the SoulRabbi GoldmanEpisode: "14 Steps/Damaged Goods/Ballerina Dreams"2002The Chris Isaak ShowUncle CorkyEpisode: "The Hidden Mommy"Arli$$Ned BalfourEpisode: "Profiles in Agenting"2005Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us PartLouis AngeliniTelevision filmFathers and SonsNoahEverwoodMax BarrettEpisode: "Pieces of Me"2006According to JimBillEpisode: "Daddy Dearest"2010CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationGiovanni "Papa" DiMasaEpisode: "Meat Jekyll"2013Celebrity Ghost StoriesHimselfEpisode: "Cherie Currie/Joseph Bologna/Diane Farr/Estella Warren"
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