Mark Margolis (, mar-GOH-liss; November 26, 1939 – August 3, 2023) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the character Héctor Salamanca in Breaking Bad (2009–2011) and Better Call Saul (2016–2022). His performance in Breaking Bad was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2012.
Margolis, who started acting in his teens, regularly performed in the films of director Darren Aronofsky, appearing in his first six films beginning with Pi (1998). He was also known for playing Alberto "The Shadow" in Scarface (1983), Jimmy in The Equalizer (1985–1989), Mr. Shickadance in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Antonio Nappa in Oz (1999–2003), Mr. Morrison in Short Eyes (1977) and the New Priest in Immortals (2011).
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Early life
Margolis was born on November 26, 1939, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Jewish parents Fanya (née Fried) and Isidore Margolis. Margolis was briefly a student at Temple University before dropping out and moving to New York City. At age 19, he was a student under Stella Adler at the Actors Studio. He was also later trained by Lee Strasberg and Barbara Loden.
Career
After training with Adler, Margolis started performing in various plays. In 1962 he played in the Broadway production Infidel Caesar, a production based on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The play was closed in previews and never ended up officially opening. He subsequently founded Blue Dome, a touring theater company that performed various productions. Margolis then worked in over 50 Off-Broadway plays.
