Robert Loggia

Birthday: 3 January 1930, Staten Island, New York, USA

Birth Name: Salvatore Loggia

Height: 180 cm

Born and raised in New York City, Robert Loggia studied journalism at the University of Missouri before moving back to New York to pursue acting. He trained at the Actors Studio while doing stage work. From the late 1950s he was a familiar face on TV, usually as authoritative figures. Loggia also found work in movies such as The Greatest Story Ever... Show more »

I thought my career was over as an actor at one point and I decided if I was going to be trapped in ...Show more »

I thought my career was over as an actor at one point and I decided if I was going to be trapped in episodic television, I would direct in episodic television. Show less «

(2011, on A Woman Called Golda (1982)) I worked with Ingrid [Bergman]. Ingrid and I became very clos...Show more »

(2011, on A Woman Called Golda (1982)) I worked with Ingrid [Bergman]. Ingrid and I became very close during filming. She became Golda Meir. She had a problem with her circulation in her left arm. So the whole time it was swollen. She was in pain. Ingrid and I became very, very close in the film. I think it became a real classic. Show less «

(2011, on Big (1988)) Well, when we came to the set, which was... what's the store? F.A.O. Schwartz....Show more »

(2011, on Big (1988)) Well, when we came to the set, which was... what's the store? F.A.O. Schwartz. We went up there, Tom [Hanks] and I, we see two guys dressed like we were, and they were going to shoot [the piano dance scene] with just the feet. We thought that was ridiculous. We told the guys who were dressed like we were to take a hike. So we were full-figure, which made it much more of a classic scene. Tom and I did all the dance. Full-figured view...It didn't take long at all, really. Just about one take. Show less «

(2011, on playing a lot of different ethnicities in your career) I'd have to thank Stella Adler for ...Show more »

(2011, on playing a lot of different ethnicities in your career) I'd have to thank Stella Adler for that. She didn't want her actors to be a one-trick pony. An actor is an impersonator; he plays many different roles. If you played the same role all the time, God that'd be a boring career. When you take on different roles and become a different person, that's called acting ... It's a challenge. When you read a script, you don't want to be the same guy all the time, you want to change, you're a different person. That's why acting is a wonderful career. You're not the same guy all the time. Show less «

[on Psycho II (1983)] Meg Tilly was wonderful and went on to do very well after that. They did that ...Show more »

[on Psycho II (1983)] Meg Tilly was wonderful and went on to do very well after that. They did that movie for spit -- if they spent $5 million on it, that was a lot. But it was the only picture I was in from which I was actually paid a bonus. Show less «

(2011) We rehearsed our Scarface (1983) to the nines. Long period of rehearsal, so that by the time ...Show more »

(2011) We rehearsed our Scarface (1983) to the nines. Long period of rehearsal, so that by the time we started to shoot, it was almost like doing a play. We all had a grand time doing it. It was a wonderful cast. We all got along well together, and that's it...The acting talent, the cinematography, we were propelled into a real class action film. Long after I kick the bucket it'll be played. Show less «

[on being 100% natural in every film to the point where he's always himself] Which is boring to the ...Show more »

[on being 100% natural in every film to the point where he's always himself] Which is boring to the audience and boring to me. In the old days, I used to prepare, run around the block, do push-ups, psych it up, all that. When I say conceptual, I mean that I read the script, and it's ingested. There was a book, by Arthur Koestler, called "The Art of Creation". One of his examples was that Handel [George Frideric Handel] dreamed "The Messiah"; when he awakened, he set it right down on paper. There's a certain truth for me in that as an actor. I do dream it, I do conceive it, and it's there. Show less «

[on The Believers (1987)] It isn't what Schlesinger [director John Schlesinger] intended; he wanted ...Show more »

[on The Believers (1987)] It isn't what Schlesinger [director John Schlesinger] intended; he wanted to make a serious picture about the aberration of power, but the picture fell through the cracks. The audience didn't know whether they were being served a horror film, or a movie of a different nature. It was like going into a restaurant and not knowing what the menu is. Show less «

(2011, on making Lost Highway (1997)) It's certainly in my memory book as a thrill. Working with Dav...Show more »

(2011, on making Lost Highway (1997)) It's certainly in my memory book as a thrill. Working with David Lynch was like taking a bullet. A gun at you. Lost Highway (1997) is, I think, one of the best films I've ever been in. It'll endure a long, long time. Show less «

[on being typecast in Mafioso roles and the acting process in general] It's like eating steak every ...Show more »

[on being typecast in Mafioso roles and the acting process in general] It's like eating steak every day. It's not that I'm tired of eating steak, it's that I'd like some lamb or chicken, a change of pace. No two tennis balls are the same. You can hit thousands and thousands of tennis balls, and it seems like the same stroke, but no two are the same. It's the same with acting, one take to the other. There's always a variance, so you try to play it fresh each time. Show less «

(2011, on Mancuso, FBI (1989)) Well, I liked playing the cop. It should have gone on longer. I don't...Show more »

(2011, on Mancuso, FBI (1989)) Well, I liked playing the cop. It should have gone on longer. I don't know why it was canceled, but Mancuso, FBI, it should have had a good long run, but it wasn't picked up. Maybe there was a problem with me. I have no idea. Show less «

(2011, on Prizzi's Honor (1985)) What stands out for me in that shoot is John Huston's daughter [Anj...Show more »

(2011, on Prizzi's Honor (1985)) What stands out for me in that shoot is John Huston's daughter [Anjelica]. I don't know what adjective to use. He wasn't uncomfortable with her, but he felt that it would be better if I worked with his daughter more than he did. That I would shield Anjelica from any problems. So I became her off-screen mentor at the behest of John Huston. He wanted me to work with his daughter. He felt, I guess, uncomfortable doing it himself. Show less «

(2011, on Independence Day (1996)) It was a thrill to do that movie. For all the actors. It was chal...Show more »

(2011, on Independence Day (1996)) It was a thrill to do that movie. For all the actors. It was challenging, and you stepped to the plate and try to hit it out of the park, I guess...You're dealing with aliens and all of that. It's an obvious challenge. Scripts like that don't come your way that often. It's nice to have it in my acting agenda. Nice to take it on. Show less «

Robert Loggia

Robert Loggia's FILMOGRAPHY

Robert Loggia'S roles

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