Actor. He is best remembered as the diner owner 'Mel Sharples' in the 1974 film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and in the CBS television sitcom "Alice" that ran from August 1976 until March 1985, the latter for which he received two Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He was the only actor of the original film to reprise his role in the series. Born Victor Tayback in Brooklyn, New York, his parents emigrated from Aleppo, Syria. As a teenager, he moved with his family to Burbank, California, and attended Burbank High School, graduating in 1949. He then served in the U.S. Navy and decided to pursue an acting career at the age of 25 after his military discharge. During his struggling actor days, he worked for various temporary employment agencies between acting gigs, including the Kelly Corporation. He appeared on the stage frequently in California, appearing in "Death of a Salesman" and "Brighton Beach Memoirs." During the '60s and '70s, he appeared in numerous television episodes, including: "F Troop," "The Love Boat," "Hawaii Five-O," "Rawhide," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Barney Miller," "All in the Family," "Get Smart," "Bonanza," "Bewitched," "Columbo," "The Monkees," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "T.J. Hooker," "Fantasy Island," "Hotel," and "Murder, She Wrote." His other film credits include "Five Minutes to Live" (1961), "Bullitt" (1968), "Blood and Lace" (1971), "Papillon" (1973), "The Gambler" (1974), "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974), "No Deposit, No Return" (1976) and "The Shaggy D.A." (1976). He also appeared in television commercials including one for Aqua Velva after-shave lotion as a spectator in the stands who shouts at then-Cincinnati Reds third baseman Pete Rose "Hey, Pete Rose! What does a man really want in an after-shave lotion?" In 1989, he lent his voice as 'Carface Caruthers' in the animated musical action-adventure film "All Dogs Go to Heaven." With fellow actors Richard Chamberlain and Sally Kellerman, he founded the theatre group Company of Angels in Los Angeles, California. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack in Glendale, California at the age of 60.