Telly Savalas was an American actor best known for his role as a tough, New York City detective in the 1970s television series, Kojak. He was born on January 21, 1922 in Garden City, New York as a son of Greek immigrants, Savalas and his brother Gus sold newspapers and shined shoes to help support the family. In 1941, he joined the army and served in World War II, from which he was discharged with a Purple Heart disability. After his release, Savalas attended the Armed Forces Institute where he studied radio and television production.

Listen to music from Telly Savalas like Some Broken Hearts Never Mend, If & more. Find the latest tracks, albums, and images from Telly Savalas. Best known as the bald-headed, elegantly dressed, hard-as-nails yet lollipop-wielding NYC police Lieutenant "Kojak" (CBS, 1973-77), this talented veteran actor gained life experience with a three-year stint in the Army during WWII, working for the . State Department hosting the "Your Voice of America" series and then at ABC News before beginning an acting.

Telly Savalas, Actor: Kojak. Of Greek descent on both sides, the son of immigrants, Savalas was a soldier during World War II, although most of his enlistment records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973. He later studied psychology at Columbia University under the GI Bill. Iconically bald, he often played character.

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