David Margulies, who worked steadily on stage and screen, including roles in “Ghostbusters” and “The Sopranos,” died Monday, his agent Harry Abrams confirmed. He was 78.
A Brooklyn native, Margulies graduated from City College of New York and made his off-Broadway debut in 1958 in “Golden 6,” according to his biography at the Milken Archive of Jewish Music.
His face was instantly recognizable from dozens of films and TV shows, including 1984’s “Ghostbusters,” in which he played the mayor of New York. He repeated the role in the 1989 sequel.
His big-screen career also included appearances in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “A Most Violent Year.”
On the small screen, he was recognizable for parts on several TV shows including “The Sopranos” — as Tony Soprano’s lawyer, Neil Mink — “Northern Exposure,” “Law and Order” and “Touched by an Angel.”
Margulies had an even more successful career on Broadway, where he debuted in 1973 in a revival of “The Iceman Cometh.” He also appeared in “Conversations With My Father,” “Angels in America: Perestroika” (as Roy Cohn) and “Wonderful Town.”
He appeared in his first film, “A New Leaf” starring Walter Matthau and Elaine May, in 1971.
According to IMDB, Margulies appears in the role of Nobel-winning author Elie Wiesel in the upcoming TV movie “Madoff,” about the rise and fall of financier Bernie Madoff.
Fans and colleagues paid tribute to the actor on Twitter on Tuesday.
