Rick Aviles
| Rick Aviles | |
|---|---|
 Aviles as Willie Lopez in Ghost (1990) |
|
| Born | Richard Anthony Aviles October 14, 1952 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 17, 1995 (aged 42) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, Stand-up Comedian |
Rick Aviles (October 14, 1952 – March 17, 1995) was an American stand-up comedian and actor of Afro-Puerto Rican descent, who is best remembered for the role of Willie Lopez in the film Ghost.
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[edit] Early years
Aviles' parents moved from Puerto Rico to the United States in the late 1940s. They lived in Manhattan, New York City, where Aviles was born. He was raised in the Lower East Side and at times got himself into trouble. One of his assets was that he had a comical side to him. Aviles' siblings Angel Aviles and Rod Reyes are also in the arts and entertainment fields.[1]
[edit] Career
In the 1970s and 1980s, Aviles worked as a stand-up comedian on the Greenwich Village night-club circuit in New York. In 1981, he landed the role of Mad Dog in the film Cannonball Run. He went on to act in fourteen more film productions. In 1987, Aviles landed a small part as the maintenance man in the film The Secret of My Success, starring Michael J. Fox. That same year he became the host of It's Showtime at the Apollo, and continued as host until 1991.[2]
In 1990, Aviles landed his most memorable role. He was cast as Willie Lopez, Sam Wheat's killer, in the film Ghost. The film was a smash hit at the box office and received multiple Oscar nominations. Besides Aviles, Ghost also starred Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg. He also acted in Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" (1989) as Will Robinson; Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part III (1990) as Mask #1; Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way (1993) as "Quisqueya", starring Al Pacino; in Waterworld (1995) as the Gatesman, starring Kevin Costner and in Joe's Apartment (1996) as the voice of a cockroach.[2]
Among the television series in which he appeared are Mr. & Mrs. Dracula (1980), The Day Women Got Even (1980), The Carol Burnett Show (1991) and Stephen King's The Stand (1994).
[edit] Death
Having contracted HIV through heroin abuse, Aviles died on March 17, 1995 in Los Angeles, California, from complications of AIDS.[3]
[edit] Filmography
| Film[4] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | The Cannonball Run | Mad Dog | |
| 1984 | Billions for Boris | Hector | |
| 1987 | Street Smart | Solo | |
| The Secret of My Success | Maintenance Man | ||
| 1988 | Mondo New York | Comic in Park | |
| Spike of Bensonhurst | Bandana | Alternative titles: The Mafia Kid Throwback! |
|
| 1989 | Mystery Train | Will Robinson | Segment: "Lost in Space" |
| Identity Crisis | El Toro | ||
| 1990 | Ghost | Willie Lopez | |
| The Godfather Part III | Mask #1 | ||
| Green Card | Vincent | ||
| 1993 | The Saint of Fort Washington | Rosario | |
| Carlito's Way | Quisqueya | ||
| 1995 | Waterworld | Gatesman | |
| 1996 | Joe's Apartment | Cockroach | Voice |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | Mr. and Mrs. Dracula | Mario | Unknown episodes |
| The Day the Women Got Even | Pancho Diaz | Television film | |
| 1989 | No Place Like Home | J.J. | Television film |
| 1991 | Monsters | 1 episode | |
| The Carol Burnett Show | Skit characters | Unknown episodes | |
| 1993 | Moon Over Miami | Frankie The Rat | 1 episode |
| 1994 | The Stand | Rat Man | Miniseries |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Biography for Rick Aviles at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ a b New York Times; Movies and T.V.
- ^ Tucker, Hannah (2006-06-09). "25 years of AIDS in Hollywood -- We remember the lost stars of movies, TV and art". Entertainment Weekly: pp. 2. http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1202273_7_0_,00.html. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
- ^ Filmography
