Leonardo Cimino was an American film, television and stage actor who in 1937 appeared in the original stage production of Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock. Cimino's most well known roles are in the 1983 science fiction miniseries, V as Abraham Bernstein and the 1987 feature film The Monster Squad as the "scary German guy."
Despite a popular misconception, Cimino was no relation to Oscar-winning screenwriter/producer/director Michael Cimino.
(November 4, 1917 – March 3, 2012)
Born in Manhattan, Cimino was the son of Andrea and Leonilda Cimino. His father was a tailor. Cimino was initially interested in pursuing a career as a violinist, and studied the instrument at the Juilliard School when he was a teenager. While studying the violin he became interested in acting and dancing, and began studying those as well.[1] In 1936, at the age of 18, he made his professional stage debut in a supporting role in the world premiere of Gladys Bronwyn Stern's Middle Man in Suffern, New York which starred actor Ernest Truex.[2] It wasn't until a decade later, however, that Cimino would become dedicated full-time to an acting career. During the late 1930s and early 1940s he studied acting, directing and modern dance at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.[1]
After the outbreak of World War II, Cimino joined the United States Army in 1942. He notably participated in the invasion of Normandy, landing with the second wave on June 6, 1944.
After returning to the United States in 1945 he continued to study the performing arts at the Neighborhood Playhouse; notably studying dance with Martha Graham. In 1946 he made his Broadaway debut in a revival of Cyrano de Bergerac which starred and was directed by José Ferrer. It was the first of many projects that Cimino would collaborate with Ferrer on.[1] He went on to appear in nearly 20 Broadway productions over the next four decades, including a 1962 adaptation of E. M. Forster’s Passage to India and a 1985 revival of The Iceman Cometh. In 1976 he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his performance of the role of Jim in Arthur Miller's A Memory of Two Mondays.
Cimino also appeared in numerous Off-Broadway productions during his career, notably winning an Obie Award in 1958 for his portrayal of Smerdyakov in The Brothers Karamazov. He frequently appeared Off-Broadway in Shakespear plays at the Public Theater, including Egeon in The Comedy of Errors (1975) alongside Ted Danson and Danny DeVito. He also appeared in productions in Regional theatres across the United States during his career. In 1970 he was awarded the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Principal Role for his performance in The Man in the Glass Booth at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Cimino made guest appearances on TV shows, some of those appearances range from Naked City, Kojak, The Equalizer and Law & Order. In 1981 and 1982, he played Alexei Vartova on ABC's soap opera Ryan's Hope.
Cimino died on March 3, 2012 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his home in Woodstock, New York.[1]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Mad Dog Coll | Wickles - Bar Owner | |
| 1961 | The Young Savages | Mr. Rugiello | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Quick, Let's Get Married | Dr. Paoli | |
| 1969 | Stilleto | Allie Fargo | Uncredited |
| 1970 | Cotton Comes to Harlem | Tom | |
| 1972 | Come Back, Charleston Blue | Frank Mago | |
| 1973 | Jeremy | Cello Teacher | |
| 1975 | The Man in the Glass Booth | Dr. Alvarez | |
| 1980 | Hide in Plain Sight | Don Angelo Venucci | |
| 1980 | Stardust Memories | Sandy's Analyst | |
| 1982 | Amityville II: The Possession | Chancellor | |
| 1982 | Monsignor | The Pope | |
| 1984 | Dune | The Baron's Doctor | |
| 1987 | The Monster Squad | Scary German Guy | |
| 1987 | Moonstruck | Felix | |
| 1988 | The Seventh Sign | Head Cardinal | |
| 1989 | Penn & Teller Get Killed | Ernesto | |
| 1990 | Q&A | Nick Petrone | |
| 1990 | The Freshman | Lorenzo | |
| 1991 | Hudson Hawk | Cardinal | |
| 1993 | Claude | Daddy V.J. | |
| 1993 | Household Saints | Mario, a Storyteller | |
| 1995 | Waterworld | Elder | |
| 1999 | Cradle Will Rock | VTA - Man in Line | |
| 2001 | 18 Shades of Dust | Connie Broglio | |
| 2001 | Made | Leo | |
| 2007 | Before the Devil Knows You're Dead | William | (final film role) |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | The Big Story | Tyler | 1 episode |
| 1958 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | 1 episode | |
| 1958 | Naked City | Shellshock | 1 episode |
| 1959 | The Phil Silvers Show | Bandit #3 | 1 episode |
| 1959 | The DuPont Show of the Month | 1 episode | |
| 1959 | Brenner | Mr. Jackson | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | Joe March | 1 episode |
| 1960 | The Witness | 1 episode | |
| 1960 | The DuPont Show of the Month | 1 episode | |
| 1960 | Naked City | Johnny | 1 episode |
| 1961 | Give Us Barabbas! | Caleb | TV movie |
| 1961 | The Power and the Glory | TV movie | |
| 1961 | Way Out | Nightime Murderer | 1 episode |
| 1961 | Route 66 | Vendor | 1 episode |
| 1961 | Naked City | Miklos Konya | 1 episode |
| 1961 | Naked City | Julio Varraco | 1 episode |
| 1962 | Naked City | Alberto Russo | 1 episode |
| 1963 | Naked City | Sid Kitka | 1 episode |
| 1963 | The Defenders | Ralph Kinderman | 1 episode |
| 1965 | For the People | LeBlanc | 1 episode |
| 1966 | ABC Stage 67 | Dino | 1 episode |
| 1973 | Honor Thy Father | Sam DeCavalcante | TV movie |
| 1974 | Kojak | Ruby Kabelsky | 2 episodes |
| 1976 | Kojak | Cordick | 1 episode |
| 1976 | Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers | Ben Rosselli | mini-series, 1 of 4 episodes |
| 1980 | A Time for Miracles | Italian Priest | TV movie |
| 1980 | Rappaccini's Daughter | Rappaccini | TV movie |
| 1981 | Ryan's Hope | Alexei Vartova | 10 episodes |
| 1983 | V (1983 miniseries) | Abraham Bernstein | mini-series, 2 of 2 episodes |
| 1983 | Cocaine and Blue Eyes | Orestes Anatole | TV movie |
| 1983 | Will There Really Be a Morning? | Adolph Zukor | TV movie |
| 1984 | One Life to Live | Antonescu | 1 episode |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Thomas Marley Sr | 1 episode |
| 1989 | The Equalizer | Doctor Molinari | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | Orambello Johnson | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace | TV movie | |
| 1994 | M.A.N.T.I.S. | Benny Cruikshank | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Law & Order | Costello | 1 episode |
| 1997 | The Hunger | Nero | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Witness to the Mob | Neil Dellacroce | TV movie |
| 2000 | Law & Order | Tommy Valducci | 1 episode |
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