Mark Margolis of ‘Breaking Bad’ & ‘Better Call Saul’ Dead at 83

Actor Mark Margolis, known for his roles on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” died Thursday. He was 83.

Mark’s son, actor and CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment Morgan Margolis, announced the news, saying that his father died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City after a short illness.

Margolis, who was born in Philadelphia and lived in Tribeca for the last several years, had an extensive acting career. Along with playing cartel don Tio Salamanca on “Breaking Bad” (2009-2011) and on “Better Call Saul” (2016-2022), some of his other notable projects include “Scarface” (1983), “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994), 10 episodes of HBO’s “Oz” (1998-2003), “Requiem for a Dream” (2000), “The Wrestler” (2008), and “Black Swan” (2010).

Speaking out about joining Season 2 of “Better Call Saul,” on which he played Salamanca as a younger man, prior to the character becoming incapacitated, Margolis told The Hollywood Reporter he didn’t think the role would have the lengthy life it did.

“I was only coming into ‘Breaking Bad,’ as far as I knew, for that one episode. But there’s no accounting for taste, and the fans took a fancy to me.”

In addition to his son, Margolis is also survived by wife Jacqueline, brother Jerome, and grandsons Ben, Aidan and Henry.