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Sal Viscuso

Sal Viscuso

The dedication of Sal Viscuso to the craft of acting can be dated to a singular evening in 1967. A college freshman, he happened upon a teleplay of Ronald Ribman's CBS Playhouse: The Final War of Olly Winter (1967) and was so inspired by Ivan Dixon's Emmy-winning rendition of the title role that he entered the drama department the very next day, later explaining, "I felt that there I had found my family." He earned his BA from the University of California at Davis, then went on to study with Olympia Dukakis at NYU School of the Arts, from which he graduated with an MFA.

Opportunities presented themselves rapidly, and Sal made his film debut in the classic The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). An introduction to Burt Metcalfe, associate producer of the iconic series M*A*S*H (1972), led to his move to Los Angeles, and soon Sal was a regular on NBC's sitcom The Montefuscos (1975). He was an off-screen loudspeaker announcer (as well as various other characters) on M*A*S*H (1972); appeared in Gene Wilder's homage to 1920's Hollywood, The World's Greatest Lover (1977); improvised in Robert Altman's Three Women (1977); and played multiple parts on the beloved Barney Miller (1975) (one of which was written especially for him by the show's creator, Danny Arnold).

He was also to feature in what TIME magazine has rated as one of the "Top 100 TV shows of all time," Susan Harris's Soap (1977). His vocationally challenged Father Timothy Flotsky (and the show's depiction of one of the first openly gay characters on network television), created instant controversy that attracted 19 million viewers to the series premiere. Shortly thereafter, Sal commenced his professional association with the Bancroft/Brooks combine of talent, first appearing in Anne Bancroft's Fatso (1980), and then in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs (1987), about which he has remarked, "I continue to get more attention from that project than from anything I've ever done!"

  • BIRTH 05/10/1948
  • Country United States
  • SHOWS 18
  • MOVIES 6

Shows (18)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Sal Avelino
The Mentalist
The Mentalist
Walter
Castle (2009)
Castle (2009)
Tommy Valentine
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Monk (voice)
ER
ER
Mr. Weller
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Bobby Bigmouth
The Love Boat
The Love Boat
Charley Cole / Doug Ketchum / Mark Carlson
Family Ties
Family Ties
Richard Grasso / Richard Jacobs
M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H
Patient John / Sergeant Raymond McGill
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Sergeant Redmond
Hunter
Hunter
Sam Olan
Diagnosis Murder
Diagnosis Murder
Dick Douglas / Phil
Boston Public
Boston Public
Arthur Ryan
Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey
Keppler
Soap
Soap
Father Tim / Tim Flotsky
The Montefuscos
The Montefuscos
Nunzio Montefusco
Barney Miller
Barney Miller
Brenner / Joseph Beatty / Thomas Vitella / Victor Renaldi
Princess Daisy
Princess Daisy
Wingo

Movies (6)

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Judge
Spaceballs
Spaceballs
Radio Operator
The Dentist
The Dentist
Matthew Zeigler
14 Going on 30
14 Going on 30
Mr. Lloyd
Jake Speed
Jake Speed
News stand Attendant
Pinocchio's Revenge
Pinocchio's Revenge
Jail Guard