Billy Varga

Billy Varga
Varga in the 1960s
Birth nameWilliam Joe Varga[1]
Born(1919-01-10)January 10, 1919[2]
Cleveland, Ohio, United States[2]
DiedJanuary 11, 2013(2013-01-11) (aged 94)[2]
Burbank, California, United States[3]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Billy Varga[2]
Count Billy Varga[2]
Billed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Billed weight200 lb (91 kg)[2]
Trained byJoe Varga[2]
Debut1930s
Retired1970s

William Joe Varga[1] (January 10, 1919 – January 11, 2013), billed as Count Billy Varga, was an American professional wrestler and actor. He was born to Rose and Joe Varga; his father was a professional wrestler in Europe known as Count Joseph Varga and taught his son wrestling at the age of five. He attended Hollywood High School and graduated from the University of Southern California. Varga won the world's light-heavyweight title in 1941 and later joined the Navy until he arrived home in 1947. Varga's wrestling career began to fall apart in the 1970s as he was busy in television and movie work.[2][3]

Personal life

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Varga married Rosabelle Varga who died in 1992. He resided in Northridge, California.[1] He had three sons, Billy, Courtland and Royce, all of whom preceded him in death, and five grandchildren. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease by the beginning of 2005 and died in 2013.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1949 Alias the Champ Wrestler
1949 Bodyhold Marvelous Milton
1953 The Abbott and Costello Show The Big Guy
1953 Miss Sadie Thompson Marine Uncredited
1955 Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops Guy outside theater that throws Bud Uncredited
1960 Shotgun Slade Snag Episode: "The Smell of Money"
1961 It Started in Tokyo Mark Uncredited
1962 Convicts 4 Guard #7
1962 The Jack Benny Program Himself Episode: "The Story of Jack Referees Wrestling Match"
1964 The Munsters Strangler Murphy Episode: "Herman the Great"
1965 Burke's Law The Count Uncredited, Episode: "Who Killed the Strangler?"
1973 Oklahoma Crude Cook
1976 Ellery Queen Security Guard Episode: "The Adventure of the Tyrant of Tin Pan Alley"
1980 Raging Bull Ring announcer - Third Robinson Fight
1985 Grunt! The Wrestling Movie Coach Rocko
1985 Pro Wrestling Finishing Holds Vol. 1 with Gene LeBell Self
1986 Bad Guys Referee
1986 Stewardess School Fight Manager
1991 Alligator II: The Mutation Announcer (final film role)

Championships and accomplishments

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Obituary for William Joe Varga". Holy Cross Mortuary. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Count Billy Varga was star of screen, ring". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ a b "Count Billy Varga, Actor and Wrestler, Dies at 94". The Hollywood Reporter. January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
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