Ralph Peduto

Ralph Peduto
Born(1942-03-09)March 9, 1942
DiedMay 12, 2014(2014-05-12) (aged 72)
Occupation(s)Actor, Playwright
Years active1984–2012
SpouseLaura Peduto

Ralph Peduto (March 9, 1942 – May 12, 2014) was an American actor, playwright, writer and director. Peduto's film roles included Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993, The Rock in 1996, and Patch Adams in 1998, while his television credits included guest spots in Cheers and Hill Street Blues.[1] He ultimately appeared in more than 100 film and television roles, as forty television commercials.[2] An acting teacher as well as an actor, Peduto founded Acting On Camera, an acting school in Santa Cruz, California.[1]

Life and career

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Peduto was born on March 9. 1942, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to a working-class Italian American family.[1][2] He was the eldest of three children of James and Helen Peduto.[2] He attended James J. Ferris High School and graduated from William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City (He was later inducted into Dickinson's Hall of Fame in 2000).[2] Peduto enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in South Korea during the Vietnam War era.[2] He then attended Rutgers University after returning to the United States.[2]

In 1973, Peduto moved from New Jersey to the Monterey Bay Area to accept a broadcasting position at KRML, an AM radio station in Carmel, California.[1] He first began acting at Cabrillo College.[1] He soon wrote and produced theater plays at Cabrillo, including "Root Rock," his autobiographical musical which debuted in 1979.[1]

Peduto transitioned to roles in Hollywood films, television shows and commercials during the 1980s.[1] He appeared in television and films from the 1980s to the 2000s. Peduto also had an extensive career in television commercials. His best known commercial work was as the "Midas Man", a character and spokesman for the Midas automotive centers, in which he urged consumers to depend on Midas.[1]

Peduto was a longtime resident of Capitola, California.[1][2]

Ralph Peduto died on May 12, 2014, just twelve days after being diagnosed with leukemia, at the age of 72.[1][2] He was survived by his wife of 45 years, Laura Peduto, and their two children, Maro Peduto and Oceanna Ceja.[2]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 True Believer Court Officer
1993 Mrs. Doubtfire Cop
1994 Getting Even with Dad Chapman
1996 The Rock F.B.I. Agent Hunt
1997 Metro Bail Bondsman Hawkins
1997 Lego Island Papa Brickolini Video game, voice role[3]
1998 Patch Adams Organizer
1999 Paradise Cove Banner
2000 Just One Night Driver 1
2003 Kung Phooey Ralph
2006 Valley of the Heart's Delight Vegetable Man
2006 Car Babes Uncle Steve
2011 Blur Halleck
2012 The Forger Churchgoer (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Guzman, Kara (2014-05-13). "Ralph Peduto, Santa Cruz actor, dies from leukemia". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ralph Peduto obituary". Legacy.com. Santa Cruz Sentinel. 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  3. ^ "Lego Island (1997 Video Game)". Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
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