Biography

Don Calfa

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Overview

Born
December 3, 1939 · Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died
December 1, 2016 · Yucca Valley, California, USA (Natural causes)
Birth name
Donald George Calfa

Biography

Don is probably best remembered for his role as "Ernie Kaltenbrunner' in the 1985 comedy horror The Return of the Living Dead (1985). Don's career spans over 40 years in both film and TV. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Ozone Park Queens, and later West Hempstead, Long Island, Don Calfa was originally interested in a career in the fine arts. He got the acting bug after seeing films such as Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Vertigo (1958). After dropping out of high school to study at Erwin Piscotor's "The Dramatic Workshop," (he finished his degree in night school), Calfa spent two years in summer stock which enabled him to join Actors Equity and eventually get his SAG card.

Don has starred alongside some of cinema's greats including Warren Beatty in Bugsy (1991), Michael Douglas in The Star Chamber (1983), Jack Nicholson in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), and many more.

Among Don's most memorable roles were as 'Mr. Pitts' on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), 'Ralph Wilum' in Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1989) (aka Chopper Chicks in Zombietown), 'Paulie' in Weekend at Bernie's (1989), 'Scarface' in Foul Play (1978). His stage work includes extensive off-off-Broadway work, and he appeared on Broadway in "Lenny."

Don worked in the movie business and works the convention circuit in the USA, alongside his friend, Beverly Randolph, who he met on the set of The Return of the Living Dead (1985). Don, along with the rest of The Return of the Living Dead cast, recorded a cast commentary for a new special edition release of "The Return of the Living Dead."
- IMDb mini biography by: Gary Smart

Family

Spouse

Trivia

He appeared seven times on Barney Miller (1975), never playing the same character twice.
Don Calfa, the Mortician in 'The Return of the Living Dead,' played Ernie the embalmer in the cult classic, was a hit man in 'Weekend at Bernie's.' Calfa was cast by some of the top directors of his time, including Peter Bogdanovich (1976's Nickelodeon), Martin Scorsese (1977's New York, New York), Blake Edwards (1979's 10), Steven Spielberg (1979's 1941), Bob Rafelson (the 1981 remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice) and Barry Levinson (1991's Bugsy).
Was sharing an apartment with Richard Lynch in 1967 at the time of Lynch's LSD-fueled accident.
In February 2013 he was in Birmingham, United Kingdon, to attend the Back to the Theatre Film Screenings, double screening of The Return of the Living Dead (1985) and Re-Animator (1985) at the Custard Factory Theatre, Birmingham, as a special guest along with Graham Humphreys.
Originally set to play the character "Col Peck" in Return of the Living Dead III (1993) but had to pull out due to personal reasons.