Veteran character actor Val Avery was a familiar face in film and television, often playing tough guys in his fifty year career. He was featured as Sgt. Gionfriddo in the 1979 supernatural thriller The Amityville Horror with James Brolin and Margot Kidder.
He was born Sebouh Der Abrahamian in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 14, 1924. He began performing on stage in his youth, and embarked on an acting career after serving as an Army flight instructor during World War II. He made his film debut in the early 1950s and was featured in numerous films including Satan’s Bed (1965), the black comedy No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) with Rod Steiger as a serial killer, The Traveling Executioner (1970), the existential road film Vanishing Point (1971), The Legend of Hillbilly John (aka Who Fears the Devil) (1972), the thriller Too Scared to Scream (1984), and Cobra (1986).
Avery also appeared frequently on television, playing the bartender in the classic Christmas themed Twilight Zone episode “Night of the Meek” with Art Carney. He was also seen in episodes of The Munsters, Get Smart, Wild Wild West, The Invaders, Honey West, Mission: Impossible, Man from Atlantis, and Friday the 13th: The Series.
Avery died at his home in Greenwich Village, New York, on December 12, 2009, at age 85.
Recent Comments