‘Scarface’ actor Ángel Salazar has died at the age of 68
Angel Salazar – best known as Al Pacino’s trusted sidekick ‘Chi Chi’ in the iconic gangster film ‘Scarface’ – has died, TMZ has learned.
Salazar’s rep and best friend, Ann Wingsong, tells TMZ that the actor died in his sleep at his friend’s home in Brooklyn over the weekend.
Sunday morning, Wingsong said, the friend went to check on Salazar in a room and found his body in bed. A cause of death was not disclosed, but the representative said Salazar was suffering from heart problems.
Early in his acting career, Salazar landed the role of Chi Chi, the devoted henchman to Pacino’s famous Tony Montana character in the Brian DePalma-directed 1983 film “Scarface.”
Fans of the legendary film will never forget that Chi Chi saved Tony’s life during the so-called “chainsaw scene.” They will also never forget Chi Chi’s bloody demise at the end of the film, when his back is riddled with bullets from an assassination crew hired by drug lord Alejandro Sosa.
Of course, Tony Montana also dies in a hail of bullets at the hands of Sosa’s armed killers.
Outside of his work in “Scarface”, Salazar was also known for working opposite Tom Hanks in the 1988 drama series ‘Punchline’ and Pacino again in the 1993 drama ‘Carlito’s Way’.
Salazar was also a celebrated comedian, who had a number of HBO comedy specials and an appearance on “Last Comic Standing.”
Other notable credits include ‘Boulevard Nights’, ‘Walk Proud’, ‘Hot to Trot’, ‘Maniac Cop 2’ and other titles.
He was 68 years old.
TEAR