Veteran character actor John Marley was one of those familiar but nameless faces that television and filmgoers did not take a shine to until the late 1960s, when he had hit middle age. Distinctive for his craggy face, dark bushy brows and upswept silvery hair, his life . Thanks to those two pictures, Marley, at age 65, evolved into an important and steady fixture for the next decade or so, playing everything from gruff executives to Mafia dons himself. John Marley died on May 22, 1984 following open-heart surgery at age 76. He was survived by wife Sandra and his four children.
He had three children with his first wife, Stanja: Peter, Julia, and Ben Marley. He also had a daughter, Alexis, with his second wife, Sandra.
During rehearsals for Johns notorious horse head bedroom scene in The Godfather a fake horses head was used. However, for the actual day of shooting, a freshly severed horses head was used from a slaughterhouse in New Jersey. However, the blood was not real.
Attended City College of New York, but he dropped it out and turned to acting.
He died after open-heart surgery in Los Angeles, CA.
Appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: America America , Love Story and The Godfather , with the latter being a winner in the category.
He is buried at Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, New Jersey.
