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Al Mancini

Al Mancini built a career that moved between stage, television, film and writing, with a particularly productive stretch on both sides of the Atlantic. Born in Steubenville on November 13, 1932, he graduated from London High School in London, Ohio, in 1950 and Kent State University in 1954. His early work placed him close to the sharp edge of live comedy. In 1960, Mancini appeared Off-Broadway in Ted Flicker’s improvisational group The Premise, then transferred with the show to the Comedy Theatre in London’s West End. That move opened the door to British television, where he wrote and performed for the BBC satire That Was the Week That Was, working on the program produced by Ned Sherrin and David Frost. Mancini remained in London for several years, and his defining film role from that period was Tassos Bravos in Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen. He later reunited with co-star Ben Carruthers for To Grab the Ring in 1968. British television also gave him a run of distinctive genre assignments: the Announcer in The Prisoner episode “The General,” the villain in the Department S episode “Six Days,” and Lieutenant Andy Conroy in two episodes of UFO. In 1974, he played Captain Harry Nugent in the second series of Colditz and Le Fevre in an episode of Special Branch. After returning to the United States in the mid-1970s, Mancini continued appearing on screen, with film credits including Miller’s Crossing, Loose Cannons, The Public Eye and Falling Down. His final role came in a 2005 episode of Joan of Arcadia. Mancini’s work was not limited to performing. He also wrote for television and taught acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse for more than 30 years. That combination of actor, writer and longtime teacher gives his career a wider shape than any single role: a working life grounded in comedy, drama, genre television and the craft behind the performance.