Richard Romanus, who played loan shark Michael in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets, died on December 23, 2023, at age 80. Obituaries reported that he died in Volos, Greece; his cause of death was not disclosed.
When and where did Richard Romanus die?
The Television Academy records Romanus’s date of passing as December 23, 2023. TheWrap and other published obituaries reported that he died in Volos, Greece, at age 80. TheWrap said the cause was undisclosed; no cause of death has been established in the cited obituary accounts. Television Academy · TheWrap (2023)
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Who did Romanus play in Mean Streets?
Romanus played Michael, a loan shark, in Scorsese’s 1973 film. The part connects him to the film’s criminal underworld and is the role most closely associated with his obituary coverage. The Television Academy also lists Mean Streets among his film credits. TheWrap · Television Academy
What else did Richard Romanus act in?
Romanus’s screen work included television appearances on Kojak, Foul Play, Strike Force and The Sopranos, as well as voice roles in the animated films Wizards and Heavy Metal. On The Sopranos, he played Richard La Penna, the former husband of Dr. Jennifer Melfi, and appeared in four episodes, according to TheWrap’s 2023 obituary. TheWrap (2023)
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From acting to writing in Greece
Born February 8, 1943, in Barre City, Vermont, Romanus studied philosophy at Xavier University, graduating in 1964, and later studied at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg, according to TheWrap. He and his wife, costume designer Anthea Sylbert, moved to Skiathos, Greece, in 2004. After retiring from acting, he turned his attention to writing. Television Academy · TheWrap
His later books included the memoir Act III: A Small Island in the Aegean and the novel Chrysalis, both published in 2011, according to the cited accounts. The memoir reflects his life in Greece; it is not a book about the making of Mean Streets. Deadline via Yahoo Entertainment (2023) · Legacy.com (2024)
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