Telly Savalas Telly Savalas Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (January 21, 1924 – January 22, 1994) was an American actor and singer whose career spanned four decades of television, noted for his resonant voice and his bald head. He also released the one-hit wonder song, "If?," which he introduced in the UK in 1975. Savalas's career began in films in 1961. His movie credits include "The Young Savages" (1961), "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), "Battle of the Bulge" (1965), "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), "The Scalphunters" (1968), supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969), "Kelly's Heroes"
Telly Savalas Cop" (1980). Savalas returned to Alcatraz in "" (1980) and starred in a pilot for a TV series "Hellinger's Law" (1981). He did "My Pallikar" for "American Playhouse" (1982), "Fake-Out" (1982) with Pia Zadora, "Cannonball Run II" (1984), "The Cartier Affair" (1984), and an episode of "The Love Boat." Savalas reprised his role of Kojak in a TV movie, "" (1985). Savalas was one of many names in "Alice in Wonderland" (1985), then did "Kojak: The Price of Justice" (1987). He did a "Dirty Dozen" sequel, "" (1987), playing an entirely new character. Savalas guest-starred in "The Equalizer" and "J.J.