Stuart Margolin
Margolin on The Rockford Files
Born	(1940-01-31)January 31, 1940 Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
Died	December 12, 2022(2022-12-12) (aged 82) Staunton, Virginia, U.S.
Occupations	Actor director screenwriter
Years active	1961–2022
Spouse(s)	Patricia Dunne Martini (m. 1982)
Children	3 (stepchildren); including Max Martini

Stuart Margolin (January 31, 1940 – December 12, 2022)^[1] was an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He was known for playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin on the 1970s television series The Rockford Files, winning two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.^[2] He received an additional two Emmy nominations for his directing work, and was also a Directors Guild of America Award winner.

Margolin was born January 31, 1940, in Davenport, Iowa, to Morris and Gertrude Kalina Margolin but spent much of his childhood in Dallas, Texas. His family was of Russian Jewish descent.^[3][4] Margolin stated that he led a "hoodlum" childhood, was kicked out of Texas public schools, and was sent by his parents to a boarding school in Tennessee. During that time, his family moved to Arizona, to which he moved after his release from reform school. Soon after, Margolin relocated to Dallas. His parents arranged for him to attend private school there.^[5]

Margolin played the recurring character Evelyn "Angel" Martin, the shifty friend and former jailmate of Jim Rockford (James Garner) on The Rockford Files, whose various cons and schemes usually got Rockford in hot water.^[6] Margolin was earlier paired with Garner in the Western series Nichols (1971–72), in which he played a character somewhat similar to Angel. Margolin won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1979 and 1980,^[1] making him one of five actors to win this award twice for the same role.^[7]

In 1969, Margolin wrote and co-produced The Ballad of Andy Crocker, an ABC television movie that was one of the first films to deal with the subject matter of Vietnam veterans coming home.^[8] He also co-wrote the title song and had an uncredited cameo in the film. Margolin also took an uncredited role as the Station Wagon Driver in Heroes,^{[citation needed]} another story about Vietnam veterans dealing with what is now termed PTSD.

Margolin played Rabbi David Small in the 1976 TV movie, Lanigan's Rabbi, based on the series of mystery novels written by Harry Kemelman. Scheduling conflicts prevented him continuing in the role in the short-lived TV series of the same name that aired in 1977 as part of The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie, in which the character was played by Bruce Solomon.^[9]

In 1990–92, Margolin starred in the 26-episode Canadian comedy-drama television series Mom P.I. as Bernie, a street-smart private investigator who begrudgingly helps single mom and waitress Sally Sullivan (Rosemary Dunsmore) solve crimes.^[10]

Margolin also appeared in the 2009 CTV/CBS police drama series The Bridge^[11][12] and as bail jumper Stanley Wescott in the episode "The Overpass" (Season 5 Episode 2; 2013) of the CBC Television series Republic of Doyle, which was itself inspired by The Rockford Files.^[13] While not a wholesale recreation of the Angel Martin character, his role sported many similar attributes.^[14] The episode also featured Margolin's stepson, Max Martini^{[citation needed]}

Margolin also appeared in feature films, including Kelly's Heroes, Death Wish, Futureworld, The Big Bus, and S.O.B.^{[citation needed]}

Margolin directed episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Sara, The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., Bret Maverick, Quantum Leap, Wonder Woman. and Northern Exposure^{[citation needed]}, and in addition to acting in The Rockford Files, also directed "Dirty Money, Black Light" (1977), "Caledonia – It's Worth a Fortune!" (1974), "The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play" (1996), and "The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds... It Leads" (1998).^{[citation needed]}

He won the 1996 DGA Award for children's programming for directing Salt Water Moose,^{[citation needed]} and was nominated for the same award for The Sweetest Gift.^{[citation needed]} He was also nominated for a DGA Award for drama series direction for a 1991 episode of Northern Exposure entitled "Goodbye to All That".^[15] He directed, co-starred in, and scored The Glitter Dome (1984) for HBO Pictures.^{[citation needed]}

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Margolin wrote several songs with and for his longtime friend, singer-songwriter Jerry Riopelle, that appeared on Riopelle's albums. Margolin was associated with Riopelle's late 1960s band the Parade, co-writing songs and playing percussion on various tracks. He and Riopelle (along with Shango member Tommy Reynolds) co-wrote Shango's 1969 Caribbean-flavored novelty record "Day After Day (It's Slippin' Away)",^[16] which hit No. 39 in Canada and also made the Top 100 in the US.

Margolin's songs were covered by R. B. Greaves and Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Riopelle released eight solo albums between 1971 and 1982, all of which contained at least one song written or co-written by Margolin. In turn, Margolin released a solo album in 1980, And the Angel Sings, featuring his interpretations of Margolin and/or Riopelle compositions first recorded by Riopelle.

Starting in 2004, Margolin was a regular participant in the theater program at the Chautauqua Institution.^[17]

He married Patricia Dunne Martini in 1982. He had three stepchildren: actor Max Martini, costume designer Michelle Martini, and editor/producer/director Christopher Martini.^[4]

He was the younger brother of Emmy-winning director/producer/writer Arnold Margolin, both of them lived in Lewisburg, West Virginia,^[5] and acted together there in a professional community theater production of Laughter on the 23rd Floor.^[18]

Margolin was frequently misidentified as the brother of actress Janet Margolin (1943–1993);^[19][20] the two were not related, although they appeared together as husband and wife in the pilot for the 1977 TV series Lanigan's Rabbi.^{[citation needed]}

For 22 years, Margolin, his wife and stepchildren lived on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia.^[21]

According to stepdaughter Michelle Martini, Margolin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012. He died in Staunton, Virginia, on December 12, 2022.^[4]

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• Stuart Margolin at IMDb 
• Stuart Margolin at Aveleyman
• Stuart Margolin discography at Discogs