Jack Somack

Somack was born in Chicago, Illinois.[3] He began his career in 1966, playing the lead role of "Eddie Carbone" in Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge.[4][5]

Later in his career, Somack appeared in the Alka-Seltzer commercial titled "Spicy Meatball" in 1969,[6] playing the role of the "mustachioed spaghetti devotee".[5] He also appeared in two Broadway plays, as his theatre credits includes, Paris Is Out!, playing the role of "Daniel Brand" and The Prisoner of Second Avenue, playing the role of Mel Edison's brother "Harry Edison",[3][7] in which he replaced Vincent Gardenia for the role.[8] He continued his career, mainly appearing in numerous commercials,[1] film and television, over the years.

In 1970s–1980s, Somack appeared and guest-starred in film and television programs, including, Barney Miller,[1] The Rockford Files, Portnoy's Complaint,[9] Sanford and Son, All in the Family, The Love Boat, Desperate Characters, Laverne & Shirley, The Frisco Kid, Eight Is Enough, The Pursuit of Happiness, Starsky & Hutch, Hero at Large, Kojak, The Main Event, The Jimmy Stewart Show, The Blue Knight and Family Ties.[4][10] He also starred in two short-lived television programs titled Ball Four[11] and The Stockard Channing Show.[12]

Somack died in August 1983 of a heart attack at the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles, California,[5] at the age of 64.[1][13] He had been rehearsing for a role for the television series Benson.[4][5] Somack's last appearance was in the television film The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair.

• Jack Somack at IMDb
• Jack Somack at the TCM Movie Database
• Jack Somack at AllMovie
• Rotten Tomatoes profile