RIP Vincent Schiavelli
I can’t say that I knew him but he appeared in many films that I saw over the years so I feel as if he’s a part of the family. Sort of like how your Great Aunt Fizzlebottom’s “friend” Martha is a part of the family. Familiar yet unapproachable because of things that must not be said.
One of my favorite characters that he played was Mr. Vargas, the teacher in Fast Times at Ridgemont High that started the movie by announcing that he’d switched to Sanka. At the end of the movie he switched back to regular coffee. He was also in another movie that I own, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension, playing the part of John O’ Connor. I loved it when he was drinking electricity from a battery, through a straw. He was also in Kidco with that annoying kid, the same one from The Toy and A Christmas Story.
Anyway, he’ll be missed. I thought he was a great character actor and spooky-looking people like him are hard to find. I’ll have a cup of Sanka for you Vincent.