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Born in Passaic, he was raised in Garfield and Clifton, according to an obituary in The Washington Post. When he was 20, he was in classes at The Actor's Studio in New York with Marilyn Monroe.
He went on to enjoy a long career, becoming well-known for numerous small, standout roles that left an indelible impression with generations of moviegoers.
He worked alongside Warren Beatty in Bonnie and Clyde, with Peter Fonda in the 1966 biker film The Wild Angels, and in other films from the era. He was also a regular guest star in various popular 1960s television shows including Gunsmoke, Route 66 and Star Trek, where he famously played a menacing older adolescent in the "Miri" episode.
A friend told the Post he struggled with alcoholism but became sober in the 1980s, when he scored a string of appearances in major films, including "Melvin and Howard," "Roxanne," and "Scrooged," a sardonic update of A Christmas Carol, in which he performed in another standout role as a homeless man alongside star Bill Murray.
His career stretched into the 21st century, with a major part in Rob Zombie's "House of 1,000 Corpses."
He is survived by a son and a daughter, the Post also reported.
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