Stuart Margolin, 'Rockford Files' Actor, Dead at 82

By Allison Schonter

Stuart Margolin, the actor best known for his Emmy-winning role as Evelyn "Angel" Martin in The Rockford Files, has died. Margolin passed away Monday at the age of 82, his stepson, actor Max Martini, confirmed in an Instagram tribute, writing, "A profoundly gifted step-father that was always there with love and support for his family. RIP Pappy. Keep 'em cold." While Martini did not provide a cause of death, Margolin's other stepson, director Christopher Martini, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died of natural causes in Staunton, Virginia.

Born in January 1940 in Davenport, Iowa, and raised in Dallas, Margolin eventually moved to live with his older brother, Arnold, in New York. After attending summer theater camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he met Barney Brown, and graduating from Scottsdale (Arizona) High School in 1958, Margolin followed Brown to Southern California. It was just three years later that Margolin made his acting debut on an episode of CBS' The Gertrude Berg Show in 1961. That role was followed by a role as a Navy man on NBC's Ensign O'Toole, and roles on Burke's Law, The Fugitive, 12 O'Clock High, Occasional Wife, and The Monkees.

Margolin did not land his first significant movie role until 1970, when he starred as Pvt. "Little Joe" in the war film/caper flick Kelly's Heroes. He went on to appear in The Gambler (1974) with James Caan, the Westworld sequel Futureworld (1976), Days of Heaven (1978), and on several episodes of M*A*S*H. His other credits include Love, American Style, The Partridge Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Death Wish.

Margolin, however, was best known for his role as Evelyn "Angel" Martin a former San Quentin cellmate of Garner's P.I. Jim Rockford, on The Rockford Files. Margolin appeared in more than three dozen episodes of the series, which ran for six seasons and ranked No. 14 among primetime shows in a three-network universe during its initial 1974-75 season, per Deadline. The role earned Margolin Emmys in 1979 and 1980 for the respective fifth and sixth seasons. After the series concluded, Margolin reprised his role in eight Rockford Files TV movies during the 1990s.

In addition to acting, Margolin also directed several telefilms starring Garner, including 1982's The Long Summer of George Adams and 1984's The Glitter Dome. He also composed the score for those telefilms. He is survived by a brother, Arnold, stepsons Max and Christopher Martini, his third wife, Pat, and her daughter Michelle Martini.

Trending Now: