Editing Victor Argo

{{Short description|American actor (1934–2004)}}
{{Infobox person
| image        = VictorArgo.jpg
| imagesize    = 
| birth_name   = Victor Jimenez
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1934|11|5}}
| birth_place  = [[The Bronx]], New York, U.S.
| death_date   = {{death date and age|2004|4|7|1934|11|5}}
| death_place  = [[Manhattan]], New York, U.S.
| occupation   = {{hlist|Actor|singer}}
| years_active = 1964–2004
}}

'''Victor Argo''' (November 5, 1934 &ndash; April 7, 2004) was an [[Citizenship of the United States|American]] actor of [[Puerto Rican people|Puerto Rican]] descent who usually played the part of a tough bad guy in his movies.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/09/arts/victor-argo-69-played-heavies-in-scorsese-films.html |title=Victor Argo, 69; Played Heavies In Scorsese Films |first=Jesse |last=McKinley |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 9, 2004}}</ref> He is best known for ''[[Mean Streets]]'' (1973), ''[[Taxi Driver ]]'' (1976), ''[[Hot Tomorrows]]'' (1977), ''[[Raw Deal (1986 film)|Raw Deal]]'' (1986), ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]]'' (1988), ''[[King of New York]]'' (1990), and ''[[McBain (film)|McBain]]'' (1991).

==Early years==
Argo was born '''Victor Jimenez''' in [[The Bronx]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. Both of his parents were born in the town of [[Quebradillas, Puerto Rico]].<ref name="RT">[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/mobile/celebrity/victor_argo/ Rotten Tomatoes]</ref>

==Professional career==
Argo began his career as a stage actor. Attempting to break into show business at a time when there was much prejudice against [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino]] performers, Victor professionally adopted the surname "Argo" to better his casting chances, stating in an interview that he "felt the prejudice was against the name, not even against me."<ref name=CTobit/> While performing in an [[Off-Broadway]] play during the 1960s, Argo met [[Yoko Ono]], with whom he participated in the so-called "Happening" movement. He met [[Harvey Keitel]] during the early stages of his career; the two actors remained close friends for nearly forty years and worked together on several films, including ''[[Bad Lieutenant]]'' which Argo helped persuade Keitel to accept the lead role for.<ref>''Bad Lieutenant'' − DVD commentary by Abel Ferrara</ref> In 1977, Argo became a founding member of the [[Riverside Shakespeare Company]] on New York City's [[Upper West Side]]. As a member, he toured the parks of [[Manhattan]] playing Lord Montague.<ref>"Shakespeare on the Drive," ''The New York Times'', August 19, 1977.</ref> 

In the 1970s, Argo made his film debut with a small part in ''[[Unholy Rollers]]'' and his [[television]] debut in a made-for-TV film ''Smile Jenny, You're Dead''. Often playing the part of the New York City 'heavy' or mobster on film, Argo was a favorite of such directors as [[Martin Scorsese]], [[Abel Ferrara]] and [[Woody Allen]]. His film credits include ''[[Taxi Driver]]'', ''[[King of New York]]'', ''[[The Rose (film)|The Rose]]'', ''[[New York Stories]]'', ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]]'', ''[[Bad Lieutenant]]'', ''[[True Romance]]'' and ''[[Coyote Ugly (film)|Coyote Ugly]]''. He played the father of [[Jennifer Lopez]]'s character in the 2001 romantic drama ''[[Angel Eyes (film)|Angel Eyes]]''. His television guest appearances include ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', ''[[Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman]]'', ''[[Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]]'', ''[[Spenser: For Hire]]'', ''[[Law & Order]]'' and ''[[Miami Vice]]''. Argo lent his talents to seventy-five films and twenty-one television guest roles in total.<ref name="SDT">{{Cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040411/news_1m11argo.html|title=San Diego Tribune}}</ref>

Outside of acting on the screen and stage, another deep passion for Argo was country music, the actor at one time having traveled to [[Nashville]] to cut several song demos.<ref name=CTobit>{{cite web |title=Victor Argo, 69 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/04/12/victor-argo-69-2/ |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=12 April 2004}}</ref>

==Filmography==
Among the films in which Argo had a role were the following:<ref name="RT"/>

{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ''[[Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (film)|Dealing]]'' (1972) as 2nd Cuban
* ''[[Boxcar Bertha]]'' (1972) as McIver #1
* ''[[Unholy Rollers]]'' (1972) as Vinnie The Trainer 
* ''[[Mean Streets]]'' (1973) as Mario
* ''[[The Don Is Dead]]'' (1973) as Augie 'The Horse'
* ''[[The Terminal Man (film)|The Terminal Man]]'' (1974) as Orderly
* ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (1976) as Melio, Bodega Clerk
* ''[[Hot Tomorrows]]'' (1977) as Tony
* ''[[Which Way Is Up?]]'' (1977) as Angel
* ''[[The Rose (film)|The Rose]]'' (1979) as Lockerman
* ''[[Hanky Panky (1982 film)|Hanky Panky]]'' (1982) as Pallbearer
* ''Romando'' (1982) as Don Piri
* ''[[Falling in Love (1984 film)|Falling in Love]]'' (1984) as Victor Rawlins
* ''The Electric Chair'' (1985) as Comic
* ''[[Desperately Seeking Susan]]'' (1985) as Sergeant Taskal
* ''[[After Hours (film)|After Hours]]'' (1985) as Diner Cashier
* ''[[Off Beat (1986 film)|Off Beat]]'' (1986) as Leon
* ''[[Raw Deal (1986 film)|Raw Deal]]'' (1986) as Dangerous Man
* ''[[Florida Straits (film)|Florida Straits]]'' (1986) as Pablo Cheruka
* ''[[The Pick-up Artist (1987 film)|The Pick-up Artist]]'' (1987) as Harris
* ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]]'' (1988) as Peter, Apostle
* ''[[Her Alibi]]'' (1989) as Avram
* ''[[New York Stories]]'' (1989) as Cop (segment "Life Lessons")
* ''[[Crimes and Misdemeanors]]'' (1989) as Detective
* ''[[King of New York]]'' (1990) as Lieutenant Roy Bishop
* ''[[Quick Change]]'' (1990) as Mike Skelton
* ''[[McBain (film)|McBain]]'' (1991) as El Presidente
* ''[[Shadows and Fog]]'' (1991) as Hacker's Vigilante #2
* ''[[Bad Lieutenant]]'' (1992) as Beat Cop
* ''[[True Romance]]'' (1993) as Lenny
* ''[[Dangerous Game (1993 film)|Dangerous Game]]'' (1993) as Director of Photography
* ''[[Household Saints]]'' (1993) as Lino Falconetti
* ''Men Lie'' (1994) as Scott's Dad
* ''[[Monkey Trouble]]'' (1994) as Charlie
* ''[[Somebody to Love (1994 film)|Somebody to Love]]'' (1994) as Santa Claus
* ''[[Smoke (film)|Smoke]]'' (1995) as Vinnie
* ''[[Blue in the Face]]'' (1995) as Vinnie
* ''[[Condition Red (film)|Condition Red]]'' (1995) as Victor Klein
* ''[[The Funeral (1996 film)|The Funeral]]'' (1996) as Julius
* ''[[Next Stop Wonderland]]'' (1998) as Frank
* ''Going Nomad'' (1998) as Spiro
* ''[[Lulu on the Bridge]]'' (1998) as Pierre
* ''[[Side Streets (1998 film)|Side Streets]]'' (1998) as Albani Krug
* ''[[New Rose Hotel (film)|New Rose Hotel]]'' (1998) as Portuguese Business Man
* ''Fast Horses'' (1998) as Zack
* ''[[On the Run (1999 film)|On the Run]]'' (1999) as Man Shaving
* ''[[Coming Soon (1999 film)|Coming Soon]]'' (1999) as Mr. Neipris
* ''[[Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai]]'' (1999) as Vinny
* ''[[Blue Moon (2000 film)|Blue Moon]]'' (2000) as Tony
* ''[[The Yards]]'' (2000) as Paul Lazarides
* ''[[Fast Food Fast Women]]'' (2000) as Seymour
* ''Love = (Me)^3'' (2000) as Mr. Carrera
* ''[[Coyote Ugly (film)|Coyote Ugly]]'' (2000) as Pete
* ''[[Double Whammy (film)|Double Whammy]]'' (2001) as Lieutenant Spigot
* ''[['R Xmas]]'' (2001) as Louie
* ''[[Angel Eyes (film)|Angel Eyes]]'' (2001) as Carl Pogue
* ''Queenie in Love'' (2001) as Horace
* ''The Man Who Knew Belle Starr'' (2001) as Diner Owner
* ''[[Don't Say a Word]]'' (2001) as Syd Simon
* ''Bridget'' (2002) as Grant
* ''Anything But Love'' (2002) as Sal
* ''Dirt'' (2003) as El Gringo Nestor
* ''Personal Sergeant'' (filmed in 2003; released in 2004)<ref>{{cite web|last=Home DVD|first=Monarch|title=Personal Sergeant (2006)|date=27 June 2006 |url=https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Sergeant-Victor-Argo/dp/B000F48D2S|publisher=Amazon|access-date=2006-06-27}}</ref> as Chuck Manetta
* ''Lustre'' (filmed in 2003; released in 2005) as Hugo (final film role)
{{div col end}}

==Later years==
Shortly before his death, Argo realized a lifelong dream of performing on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] when he was cast as Santiago, the owner of a cigar factory, in the [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning drama ''[[Anna in the Tropics]]''. In his last screen role, in the independent film ''Lustre'' by director Art Jones, Argo portrayed a New York City loan shark who retreats from his everyday, hard-nosed rants to a deeply spiritual retreat from the world. The film was released in 2005. Argo died in [[New York City]] at [[Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center]] on April 7, 2004, from complications of [[lung cancer]] at age 69. His body was donated to [[Manhattan College]] for medical science. In 2005, Electronic music group Bodega System released a 12" vinyl LP which includes the track "Victor Argo".<ref name="SDT"/>

==See also==
* [[List of Puerto Ricans]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=0034519|name=Victor Argo}}
* [https://archive.today/20130129054819/http://moviemorlocks.com/2006/11/03/what-you-saw-him-in.htm What You Saw Him In (Movie Morlocks on Victor Argo)]

{{Portal bar|Puerto Rico|Biography|Film|Theatre}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Argo, Victor}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Male actors from the Bronx]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state)]]
[[Category:American actors of Puerto Rican descent]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]