Rick Aviles
Rick Aviles | |
|---|---|
 Aviles as Willie Lopez in Ghost (1990) | |
| Born | Richard Anthony Aviles October 14, 1952 Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 17, 1995 (aged 42) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, Stand-up comedian |
| Years active | 1980–1995 |
Rick Aviles (October 14, 1952 – March 17, 1995) was an American stand-up comedian and actor of Puerto Rican descent, best remembered for portraying the villainous Willie Lopez in the film Ghost.
Career
Born in Manhattan, Aviles worked as a street performer and stand-up comedian on the Greenwich Village night-club circuit in New York in the 1970s and 1980s.[1] He was frequently seen in the NYC subways, doing his act for the riders. In 1981, he landed the role of Mad Dog in the film The Cannonball Run.[1] He went on to act in fourteen more film productions. In 1987, Aviles landed a small part as the maintenance man in the film The Secret of My Success, starring Michael J. Fox. That same year he became the host of It's Showtime at the Apollo, and continued as host until 1991.[2]
In 1990, Aviles landed his most memorable role: Willie Lopez in the film Ghost, a smash hit at the box office that received multiple Oscar nominations. He also appeared in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train (film) (1989) as Will Robinson; Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part III (1990) as Mask #1; Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way (1993) as Quisqueya; in Waterworld (1995) as the Gatesman, and in Joe's Apartment (1996) as the voice of a cockroach.[2]
Among the television series in which he appeared are (1980), The Day Women Got Even (1980), The Carol Burnett Show (1991) and Stephen King's The Stand (1994).[1]
Death
At the time of death, Aviles's obituary in Variety stated he died of heart failure on March 17, 1995.[1] Eleven years later, a 2006 article in Entertainment Weekly listed him as among the celebrities who had contracted HIV and died from complications of AIDS.[3]
Filmography
| Film[4] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | The Cannonball Run | Mad Dog | |
| 1984 | Billions for Boris | Hector | |
| 1987 | Street Smart | Solo | |
| The Secret of My Success | Maintenance man | ||
| 1988 | Mondo New York | Comic in park | |
| Spike of Bensonhurst | Bandana | Alternative titles: The Mafia Kid or Throwback! | |
| 1989 | Mystery Train | Will Robinson | Segment: "Lost in Space" |
| Identity Crisis | El Toro | ||
| 1990 | Ghost | Willie Lopez | |
| The Godfather Part III | Mask #1 | ||
| Green Card | Vincent | ||
| 1993 | The Saint of Fort Washington | Rosario | |
| Carlito's Way | Quisqueya | ||
| 1995 | Waterworld | Atoll Gatesman | |
| 1996 | Joe's Apartment | Cockroach | Voice only |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | Mr. and Mrs. Dracula | Mario | Unknown episodes |
| The Day the Women Got Even | Pancho Diaz | ||
| 1989 | No Place Like Home | J.J. | |
| 1991 | Monsters | Mr. Vega | 1 episode |
| The Carol Burnett Show | Skit characters | Unknown episodes | |
| 1993 | Moon Over Miami | Frankie the Rat | 1 episode |
| 1994 | The Stand | Rat man | Miniseries |
| Video Games | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Waterworld: The Quest For Dry Land | Atoll Gatesman | |
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Ricans of African descent
- African immigration to Puerto Rico
References
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d OBITUARIES: Rick Aviles. Variety. 358. April 17, 1995. p. 40.
- ^ Jump up to: a b New York Times; Movies and T.V.
- ^ Tucker, Hannah (2006-06-09). "25 years of AIDS in Hollywood -- We remember the lost stars of movies, TV and art". Entertainment Weekly. p. 2. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
- ^ http://www.inbaseline.com/person.aspx?person_id=140929
External links
- Rick Aviles at IMDb
- 1952 births
- 1995 deaths
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- Male actors from New York City
- AIDS-related deaths in California
- People from Manhattan
- American people of Puerto Rican descent
- 20th-century American male actors