John Capodice, Character Actor Known for ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Ace Ventura,’ Dies at 83
- Character actor John Capodice, known for his roles in General Hospital and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, died at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy of film and TV appearances spanning several decades.
Character actor John Capodice, known for his roles in General Hospital and Ace Ventura : Pet Detective , among other projects, died Monday, his family announced . He was 83.
Capodice played Carmine Cerullo from 1994-96 on six episodes of the soap opera and appeared as a police officer who was dismissive of Jim Carrey's pet detective in the 1994 movie. His other film credits included roles in Wall Street, The Doors, Honeymoon in Vegas, Speed and Independence Day .
More from The Hollywood Reporter
He had an extensive list of TV show guest-star credits including stints on CSI, Seinfeld, Ellen, Another World, Knots Landing, Law & Order, Will & Grace, Spenser: For Hire, Kate & Allie, As the World Turns, Moonlighting, Murphy Brown, Melrose Place, Mad About You, Diagnosis Murder, Six Feet Under, The West Wing and Murder, She Wrote . His first TV role was on six episodes of Ryan's Hope as Lloyd Lord.
He also made two memorable commercial appearances. In one for Polly-O String Cheese , he played Fred, a perplexed pizzeria worker who gets an order for pizza with extra cheese but is asked to hold the tomato sauce and crust. Indeed, the kids ordering the pizza with "nuttin'" just wanted the mozzarella cheese, which Polly-O sells in stick form and calls the "best part of the pizza." He also played a source of unsolicited medical advice in an ad for Dimetapp cold medicine .
Born on Christmas Day in 1941 in Chicago, Capodice served in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1964-66 before launching his acting career in the late 1970s.
He was described as a "devoted husband, father and grandfather" who will be "missed by all who had the pleasure to meet him."
In addition to his work as an actor, he was a "proud member" of the fraternal organization the Blauvelt Sons of Italy Rockland Lodge 2176.
He is survived by his wife, daughters and four grandchildren.
Donations in his memory can be made to the New York homeless veterans charity Rockland Homes for Heroes .
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Sign up for THR's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
