Best known as the bald-headed, elegantly dressed, lollipop-sucking NYC police detective "Kojak" (CBS, 1973-77), this talented veteran character player gained life experience with a three-year stint in the Army during WWII, working for the Information Services of the State Department and then at ABC News before beginning an acting career in his late 30s.

As first executive director and then senior director of news special events at ABC, Savalas created and produced the "Your Voice of America" series. In the early 1950s, He was also an announcer for Voice of America's Greek Service. Savalas first acted on the TV show "Armstrong Circle Theater" (1959) and then on the series "The Witness" as Lucky Luciano, where actor Burt Lancaster "discovered" him. Savalas was cast opposite Lancaster's idealistic D.A. in the melodrama "The Young Savages" (1961). He moved on to play a string of heavies, winning acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the sadistic Feto Gomez in "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962). After portraying Pontius Pilate in "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), he chose to remain completely bald and this signature look, somewhere between the comic and the ominous, stood him in good stead in the years that followed.

Savalas was memorable in "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), the seminal ensemble action film by director Robert Aldrich, and reappeared as a different character in two TV movie reprisals. His career was transformed with the lead role in the celebrated Abby Mann-scripted TV-movie "The Marcus Nelson Murders" (CBS, 1973) where the pop culture icon of Theo Kojak was born. Savalas polished his hard-boiled image to a brilliant sheen over the long run of "Kojak" (CBS, 1973-78). During those years, he co-bought racehorse Telly's Pop, recorded two albums, "Telly" (1974) and "Who Loves Ya, Baby" (1976) and directed and wrote the film "Beyond Reason" (1977). On the personal front, Savalas maintained a high-stakes gambler's life, crowded with lovers, children and ex-wives. After the very popular series ended, Savalas reprised the Kojak persona in several Kojak-based TV-movies, furthering his public canonization. One of Savalas' brothers, George Savalas (known professionally for a time simply as 'Demosthenes') played one of Detective Kojak's staff of police officers on "Kojak".

from movies.yahoo.com

  Backfire! (1995) .... Most Evil Man
Rose Against the Odds (1995) (TV) .... George Parnassus
Mind Twister (1994) .... Richard Howland
Kojak: Flowers for Matty (1990) (TV) .... Inspector Theo Kojak
Kojak: It's Always Something (1990) (TV) .... Inspector Theo Kojak
Kojak: None So Blind (1990) (TV) .... Inspector Theo Kojak

The Hollywood Detective (1989) (TV) .... Harry Bell
Kojak: Ariana (1989) (TV) .... Kojak
Kojak: Fatal Flaw (1989) (TV) .... Theo Kojak
Faceless (1988) .... Terry Hallen
... aka Depredadores de la noche, Los (Spain)
... aka Prédateurs de la nuit, Les (France)
The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission (1988) (TV) .... Maj. Wright
The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission (1987) (TV) .... Maj. Wright
Kojak: The Price of Justice (1987) (TV) .... Kojak
GoBots: War of the Rock Lords (1986) (voice) .... Magmar
... aka GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords (USA: video title)
Alice in Wonderland (1985) (TV) .... Cheshire Cat
... aka Alice Through the Looking Glass (USA: video title (second part title))
Kojak: The Belarus File (1985) (TV) .... Lieutenant Theo Kojak
... aka The Belarus File
The Cartier Affair (1984) (TV) .... Phil Drexler
Cannonball Run II (1984) .... Hymie Kaplan
My Palikari (1982) (TV)
... aka Silent Rebellion (USA: video title)
Fake-Out (1982) .... Lt. Thurston
... aka Nevada Heat
Hellinger's Law (1981) (TV) .... Nick Hellinger
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980) (TV) .... Cretzer
... aka Alcatraz and Clarence Carnes

"The French Atlantic Affair" (1979) (mini) TV Series .... Father Craig Dunleavy
The Muppet Movie (1979) .... El Sleezo Tough (uncrddited) (Special Guest Star)
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979) .... Captain Stefan Svevo
Escape to Athena (1979) .... Zeno
The Border (1979) .... Frank Cooper
... aka Border Cop
... aka The Blood Barrier (USA)
Capricorn One (1978) .... Albain
Beyond Reason (1977) .... Dr. Nicholas Mati
Killer Force (1976) .... Webb
... aka The Diamond Mercenaries (UK)
Inside Out (1975) .... Harry Morgan
... aka Genialer Bluff, Ein (West Germany: TV title)
... aka Hitler's Gold
... aka The Golden Heist
"Kojak" (1973) TV Series .... Lt. Theo Kojak (1973-1978)
Horror Express (1973) .... Captain Kazan
... aka Pánico en el Transiberiano (Spain)
... aka Panic in the Trans-Siberian Train (International: English title)
She Cried Murder (1973) (TV) .... Inspector Joe Brody
Casa dell'esorcismo, La (1973) .... Leandro
... aka Diablo se lleva a los muertos, El (Spain)
... aka Diavolo e i morti, Il
... aka Lisa and the Devil (USA)
... aka Lisa e il diavolo (Italy: first title)
... aka Teuflische, Der (West Germany)
... aka The Devil and the Dead
... aka The Devil in the House of Exorcism
... aka The House of Exorcism (USA: recut version)
The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Theo Kojak
... aka Kojak: The Marcus-Nelson Murders (USA: recut version)
Senza ragione (1973) .... Memphis
... aka Redneck
Ragione per vivere e una per morire, Una (1972) .... Maj. Ward
... aka A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (USA)
... aka Dicke und das Warzenschwein, Der (West Germany)
... aka Horde des salopards, La (France)
... aka Massacre at Fort Holman
... aka Razón para vivir y una para morir, Una (Spain)
... aka Sie verkaufen den Tod (West Germany)
... aka Une raison pour vivre, une raison pour mourir (France)
Pancho Villa (1972) .... Pancho Villa
... aka Desafío de Pancho Villa, El (Spain)
... aka Vendetta (USA)
Visions... (1972) (TV) .... Lt. Phil Keegan
... aka Visions of Death
J. and S. - storia criminale del far west (1972) .... Sheriff Franciscus
... aka Banda J. & S. - cronaca criminale del far-west, La
... aka Bandera Bandits (USA)
... aka Far West Story (UK)
... aka Hijos del día y de la noche, Los (Spain)
... aka J & S: Criminal Story of an Outlaw Couple (USA)
... aka Rote Sonne der Rache, Die (West Germany)
... aka Sonny and Jed
Assassino... è al telefono, L' (1972) .... Ranko
... aka Moordenaar aan de telefoon (Belgium: Flemish title)
... aka Scenes from a Murder
... aka The Killer Is on the Phone
Familiari delle vittime non saranno avvertiti, I (1972) .... Don Vincenzo
... aka Crime Boss (USA)
... aka New Mafia Boss
... aka The Mafia Terminator (Australia: video title)
Mongo's Back in Town (1971) (TV) .... Lieutenant Pete Tolstad
Clay Pigeon (1971) .... Redford
... aka Trip to Kill (UK) (USA: video title)
A Town Called Hell (1971) .... Don Carlos
... aka A Town Called Bastard
... aka Ciudad llamada Bastarda, Una (Spain)
Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971) .... Captain Sam Surcher
Città violenta (1970) .... Weber
... aka Cité de la violence, La (France)
... aka The Family (USA)
... aka Violent City
Kelly's Heroes (1970) .... MSgt. Big Joe
... aka Ratnici (Yugoslavia: Serbian title)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) .... Ernst Stavro Blofeld
... aka Ian Fleming's On Her Majesty's Secret Service (USA: complete title)
... aka O.H.M.S.S. (UK: promotional abbreviation)
Land Raiders (1969) .... Vince Carden
... aka The Day of the Landgrabber
Mackenna's Gold (1969) .... Sgt. Tibbs
The Assassination Bureau (1969) .... Lord Bostwick
... aka The Assassination Bureau Limited
Crooks and Coronets (1969) .... Herbie Haseler
... aka Sophie's Place
Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968) .... Walter Braddock
The Scalphunters (1968) .... Jim Howie
Sol Madrid (1968) .... Emil Dietrich
... aka The Heroin Gang (UK)
Cosa Nostra, Arch Enemy of the FBI (1967) (TV) .... Ed Clementi
The Dirty Dozen (1967) .... Archer J. Maggott
The Karate Killers (1967) .... Count De Fanzini
... aka The Five Daughters Affair
Beau Geste (1966) .... Sergeant Major Dagineau
The Slender Thread (1965) .... Dr. Joe Coburn
Battle of the Bulge (1965) .... Sgt. Guffy
Genghis Khan (1965) .... Shan
... aka Dschingis Khan (West Germany)
... aka Dzingis-Kan
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965) .... Macmuid (harem recruiter)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) .... Pontius Pilate
... aka George Stevens Presents The Greatest Story Ever Told (USA: complete title)
The New Interns (1964) .... Dr. Dominick 'Dom' Riccio
Fanfare for a Death Scene (1964) (TV)
Johnny Cool (1963) .... Vincenzo 'Vince' Santangelo
Love Is a Ball (1963) .... Dr. Christian Gump (Millie's uncle)
... aka All This and Money Too (UK)
The Man from the Diner's Club (1963) .... Ronald 'Foots' Pulardos
The Interns (1962) .... Dr. Riccio
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) .... Feto Gomez
Cape Fear (1962) .... Charles Sievers
The Young Savages (1961) .... Police Lt. Gunderson
Mad Dog Coll (1961) .... Lieutenant Dawson
"Acapulco" (1961) TV Series .... Carver