Leonardo Anthony Cimino, a renowned Italian character actor, had a remarkable career spanning over five decades, from the late 1950s until 2007. Born on November 4, 1917, in New York City, Cimino was the son of tailor Andrea Cimino and his wife Leonilda.
As a child, Cimino played the violin and later studied at Juilliard as a teenager. He further honed his skills by studying acting, directing, and modern dance at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater.
Cimino's distinctive appearance, characterized by his gaunt face, slight build, and distinguished air, often led him to play shrewd Mafioso types, nice elderly gents, and various men of the cloth, including priests, cardinals, and even the Pope in "Monsignor."
He twice portrayed Nazi concentration camp survivors, delivering outstanding performances as Abraham Bernstein in the science fiction TV mini-series "V" and as the kindly Scary German Guy in "The Monster Squad."
Cimino also had a notable role as the Baron's doctor in David Lynch's "Dune" and made guest appearances on various TV shows, including "Naked City," "The Defenders," "Kojak," "Ryan's Hope," "The Equalizer," "The Hunger," and "Law and Order."
In addition to his work in film and television, Cimino acted on stage in numerous plays, such as "The Iceman Cometh," "They Knew What They Wanted," "A Memory of Two Mondays," "Mike Downstairs," "Night Life," "A Passage to India," "Handful of Fire," "The Liar," and "Cyrano de Bergerac."
Leonardo Cimino passed away at the age of 94 on March 3, 2012, at his home in Woodstock, New York.
