Nicholas Colasanto was an American actor and television director who is best known for his role as "Coach" Ernie Pantusso in the American television sitcom Cheers.
12 Facts About Nicholas Colasanto
2.
Nicholas Colasanto served in the United States Navy during World War II.
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Nicholas Colasanto is best known for his role as Coach Ernie Pantusso, a character in the television sitcom Cheers; his early acting career included a theatrical play A Hatful of Rain, starring Ben Gazzarra, and another role that earned him an Obie Award nomination in 1962.
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Nicholas Colasanto appeared in feature films, including The Counterfeit Killer, Fat City, and Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot.
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Nicholas Colasanto was in demand as an actor and director but in the mid-1970s he was diagnosed with heart disease, which was exacerbated by his alcoholism.
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Nicholas Colasanto was preparing to retire when the role of Coach Ernie Pantusso was offered to him on Cheers.
7.
Nicholas Colasanto's fellow cast members noticed his weight loss, but Colasanto kept the severity of his illness secret.
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Co-star Ted Danson later said Nicholas Colasanto had difficulty remembering his lines during production of the season.
9.
Nicholas Colasanto died of a heart attack at his home on February 12,1985, at the age of 61.
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Nicholas Colasanto is buried in Saint Ann Cemetery in Cranston, Rhode Island.
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Nicholas Colasanto's character was written out of the show as having died.
12.
Nicholas Colasanto had hung a picture of Geronimo in his dressing room; after his death it was placed on the wall in the bar of the Cheers production set in his memory.