One of Hollywood's finest character / "Method" actors, Eli Wallach was in demand for over 60 years . In early 2005, Eli Wallach released his much anticipated autobiography, "The Good, The Bad And Me: In My Anecdotage", an enjoyable reading from one of the screen's most inventive and enduring actors. Eli Wallach was very much a family man who remained married to his wife Anne Jackson for 66 years. When Wallach died at 98, in 2014, in Manhattan, NY, he was survived by his wife, three children, five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Received his Bachelors degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1936.
Was almost killed during the train scene in Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo . He was asked by Sergio Leone to do the scene again, and he then replied: "Ill never do that again!".
Turned down the role in From Here to Eternity that won Frank Sinatra an Oscar.
Is one of three actors to play the character of Mr. Freeze on "Batman" (The other two were George Sanders and Otto Preminger ). He once said that he has received more fan mail for that role than for any other role he has ever done.
Father, with Anne Jackson , of son Peter Wallach , and daughters Katherine Wallach and Roberta Wallach.
Was named as "King of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival in 1998. His wife Anne Jackson was named "Queen of Brooklyn" at the same festival.
Had appeared with Steve McQueen in both McQueens first major successful film ( The Magnificent Seven ) and in his last film ( The Hunter .
One of his best known roles was the lead bandit Calvera in The Magnificent Seven . Although his character was eventually defeated in the film, Wallach outlived six of the other seven stars, except Robert Vaughn who passed on November 11, 2016, despite the fact that he was older than all of them.
He, his wife Anne Jackson and their daughter, Roberta Wallach , all made guest appearances in different episodes of "Law & Order" .
Had appeared with Marilyn Monroe , Clark Gable and Steve McQueen in their final completed films: The Misfits (for both Monroe and Gable) and The Hunter respectively.
He had a brother and two sisters, all of whom became teachers.
He served for five years in the Armys Medical Administrative Corps during World War II, eventually attaining the rank of captain.
He had five grandchildren.
There was no official theater department at the University of Texas when he attended, so he joined a student organization called The Curtain Club to put on plays. One of the other students involved was future Governor of Texas John Connally.
In his later years, he was blind in the left eye due to a stroke.
While attending the University of Texas, he acted in many student plays. In one, he performed with fellow students Ann Sheridan and Walter Cronkite.
He had two hip replacements and had arthritis in his back.
One of his fellow students at Parsons New School for Social Research in New York was Marlon Brando.
Turned down the lead role of Harry Berlin in Luv that was eventually played by Jack Lemmon.
In an interview on "Fresh Air" (at station WHYY in Philadephia, Pennsylvania, broadcast nationally on National Public Radio), he explained to Terry Gross that he learned to ride horses at the University of Texas: He took care of the polo ponies. During the filming of the The Magnificent Seven , each morning he would ride a few hours with his gang.
He was friends with Walter Cronkite for over 70 years since they were both students at the University of Texas at Austin. Wallach was acknowledged at the Walter Cronkite memorial tribute at Lincoln Center and was in the audience.
Had appeared with his wife Anne Jackson in six films: The Tiger Makes Out , How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life , Zig Zag , The Angel Levine , Nasty Habits and Sams Son .
Was the reader of the audio-book of Stephen King s novel "Insomnia".
He died from natural causes at his home in Manhattan, New York City.
He grew up in the only Jewish family in an otherwise all-Italian neighborhood, and gained fame from starring in an Italian Western. Appropriately enough, the name "Wallach" derives from the same Old German root word for which the Polish name for Italy, Wlochy, comes from.
After failing the New York teachers exam, Wallach got a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse and spent two years there before graduating in 1940. Among his classmates were Gregory Peck, Lorne Greene, and Tony Randall.
Wallach played Sakini for a year in the London cast of "Teahouse of the August Moon." Among the aspiring young actors from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts who worked backstage with scenery were Alan Bates, Peter OToole, and Albert Finney. Wallach later succeeded David Wayne in the part in the Broadway production.
Served five years in the Army Medical Corps during World War II eventually reaching the rank of major.
Made his Broadway debut in the service-oriented drama "Skydrift" directed by Roy Hargrave, who had coincidently directed Anne Jackson, Wallachs future wife, in her Broadway debut in "Signature" a few months earlier.
"Time" magazine once referred to Eli Wallach and wife Anne Jackson as "the proletarian Lunts.".
Although he is best known for playing Mexican characters in westerns, Wallach was actually a Polish Jew in real life and had no Hispanic ancestry.
According to his biography..He was a Brooklyn city youth who went to a farm during the summer. When asked if he could ride a horse, he had been riding for many years and would do his own stunts.
As a new officer in the Military, it was customary to pay his first saluting soldier a dollar. One of his fondest memories.
I never lost my appetite for acting.
But Clint [Eastwood] I love, because Clint was my mentor. I knew nothing,about making an Italian movie.
When I saw the movie, I said, "I wish I had heard the music. I would,have ridden the horse differently. ".
But I went to the University of Texas in the 30s, and while there I,learned to ride. Mostly polo ponies.
And then the first was The Misfits (1961) , which I enjoyed very,much, with Marilyn and Gable.
I love to tell stories and this is my way of getting them down on paper.
I never dreamed I would do Westerns.
I always wanted to tell stories and act.
The big secret in acting is listening to people.
The trouble with that movie is that you had to see,Chinatown (1974) the day before you saw,The Two Jakes (1990) .
Yes, I won the BAFTA. I thought the British were very intelligent.
So I wanted to show what I did with the money. So I got red silk shirts,beautiful hats, wonderful saddles, a great horse, and two gold teeth.
So that was the way I did it.
just an actor.
