Photo: film screenshot (RKO Pictures) / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Mike Mazurki was a television actor, professional wrestler and film actor, born on December 25, 1907 in Kupchyntsi, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. Mike Mazurki died on December 9, 1990 at the age of 82. Schooling on record includes Manhattan University.
My Take
Mike Mazurki is one of the great character studies of old Hollywood. Born in Ukraine, trained as a lawyer, yet his 6-foot-5 frame and craggy face doomed him to play thugs and gangsters in more than 142 films. There is something deeply human in that irony: a sharp legal mind locked inside a body the studios saw only as a monster. Rather than resist the typecasting, he embraced it and made a lifelong art of menace. That, to me, is real actorly resolve. He died in 1990, but as a screen heavy he lives on forever, unforgettable in every frame.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mike Mazurki
- Name (Japanese)
- マイク・マズルキ
- Reading
- まいく・まずるき
- Born
- December 25, 1907 – December 9, 1990
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Goat
- Origin
- Kupchyntsi, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine
- Occupation
- actor / television actor / professional wrestler / film actor
2. Background
- University
- Manhattan University
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike%20Mazurki
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1859510
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Mike Mazurki born?
Born December 25, 1907.
When did Mike Mazurki die?
Died December 9, 1990, aged 82.
Where was Mike Mazurki from?
Mike Mazurki was from Kupchyntsi, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine.
What did Mike Mazurki do?
Mike Mazurki worked as actor, television actor, professional wrestler, film actor.
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