(Jan. 21, 1924 - Jan. 22, 1994) Telly Savalas was an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor whose career spanned four decades. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1963 for his supporting role in Birdman of Alcatraz. He also starred with Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages and The Scalphunters. For the course of his long career, he was best known for his work playing the title role in the popular 1970s crime drama, Kojak, and for also playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.