Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul actor Mark Margolis died on Thursday, August 3 at the age of 83. Mark’s son Morgan Margolis announced the sad news in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on August 4. Morgan, who is the CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment, said that his dad passed away at New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital “following a short illness.” An official cause of death has yet to be revealed.
Mark was best known for playing Hector Salamanca on Breaking Bad and its prequel series Better Call Saul. For his performance in Breaking Bad, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2012.
Mark was born in Philadelphia and briefly attended Temple University, before he dropped out and moved to New York City. He went to acting school and landed his first on-screen role in the 1970s. His breakout role was in the 1983 mob movie Scarface with Al Pacino. He appeared in several Darren Aronofsky films including Pi, Noah, The Wrestlers, and Black Swan. His final film role before his death was the 2020 coming-of-age drama Minyan.
Mark had an extensive resume in TV, as well. He acted in popular shows like Law & Order, Oz, Blue Bloods, and The Good Wife. He made his debut in Breaking Bad during the show’s second season. His character Hector is a former high-ranking member of the cartel, who uses a bell to communicate after suffering a stroke. Mark reprised his Emmy-nominated role in Better Call Saul, which ended last year after six seasons.
Mark’s final TV role was the Showtime series Your Honor, starring Breaking Bad‘s Bryan Cranston. He appeared in two episodes of the show’s second season which aired in early 2023.
Mark is survived by his wife Jacqueline Margolis and their son Morgan. Mark married Jacqueline on June 3, 1962. They had three grandsons, Ben, Aidan and Henry, according to THR. Mark and his wife lived in Tribeca.