Mark Margolis, who played the deadly, wheelchair-bound cartel don Hector Salamanca in the critically acclaimed TV dramas ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul,’ has died at the age of 83, according to his family.
According to a statement, Margolis died Thursday in a New York hospital after a brief illness, with his wife and son by his side.
“I am very saddened today to learn of a friend’s passing,” ‘Breaking Bad’ star Bryan Cranston wrote on Instagram.
“Mark Margolis was a really good actor and a lovely human being. Fun and engaging off the set, and (in the case of ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Your Honor’) intimidating and frightening on set.”
Bob Odenkirk, the star of spin-off series ‘Better Call Saul’, called Margolis a “powerful screen presence.”
An official ‘Breaking Bad’ social media account praised “the immensely talented Mark Margolis, who — with his eyes, a bell, and very few words — turned Hector Salamanca into one of the most unforgettable characters in the history of television.”
Margolis’ character in the program, the patriarch of the drug-smuggling Salamanca family, gets a stroke after being poisoned by a rival and can only speak by striking a bell with his finger.
Margolis, who was born in Philadelphia in 1939, relocated to New York to pursue her acting career.
He established a successful career as a character actor, appearing in films such as “Scarface,” “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” and “Black Swan,” as well as the HBO series “Oz.”
He was nominated for an Emmy in 2012 for his work on ‘Breaking Bad.’
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Jacqueline, as well as their only child Morgan and three grandchildren.
