Actor Nicholas Colasanto was born on January 19, 1924 in Providence, Rhode Island. He joined the Navy during his high school years, and saw action during World War II. After the fighting, he was discharged and returned to Rhode Island to study, and later, graduated from Bryant College. He worked as a construction worker to earn money for his tuition, and upon graduation in 1949, worked as an accountant for an oil company.
After watching Henry Fonda perform on Broadway, he became very interested in acting. Deciding to pursue such a career, he joined a theater group in Phoenix, Arizona, and later moved back to New York to star in off-Broadway productions and television commercials. From the 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles and made his mark both as a dramatic actor and a director. Apart from working on television shows, both in front and behind the camera, he appeared in the films Fat City and Raging Bull.
Colasanto was best known, however, as the forgetful but caring bar regular, Ernie “Coach” Pantusso, in the sitcom Cheers. Brought into the program as a contrast to Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) and a complement to Sam Malone (Ted Danson), he earned three Emmy nominations for each year he appeared on the sitcom. However, on February 12, 1985, he suddenly died after suffering a heart attack. The show’s producers shuffled around the remaining episodes of the fourth season to make Colasanto’s absence less abrupt, but his character was killed off, and he was replaced by a similar character, Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson).
1982-1985: Cheers (TV series) - Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso
1982: The Haircut (short) - Bobby Russo (Barber)
1980: Raging Bull - Tommy Como
1978: Lou Grant (TV series) - Patsy Reese
1977: Mad Bull (TV movie) - Duke Sallow
1977: Martinelli, Outside Man (TV movie) - Stalio
1977: Westside Medical (TV series) - John Manolas
1976: The Return of the World's Greatest Detective (TV movie) - Lieutenant Nick Tinker
1976: Family Plot - Constantine
1975: Baretta (TV series) - Danelle
1975: The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery - Bert
1975: Lucas Tanner (TV series) - Mel
1973: Kojak (TV series) - Victor Marchette
1973: Toma (TV series) - Prolaci
1973: The Streets of San Francisco (TV series) - Joe Patruro
1972: Fat City - Ruben
1966-1971: The F.B.I. (TV series) - Billy Milton/Jumisino
1968: Mannix (TV series) - Mac Wagner
1968: Premiere (TV series) - Charlie Leaf
1968: The Counterfeit Killer - Plainclothesman
1968: Ironside (TV series) - Mike Sellino
1967: Mission: Impossible (TV series) - Jimmy Bibo
1965-1967: Run for Your Life (TV series) - George Karpantos/Benno Capalupo/Jake Wexler/…
1966-1967: Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV series) - Bernheim/P.J. Bascomb
1966: Fame Is the Name of the Game (TV movie) - Detective
1966: The Fugitive (TV series) - Matt
1966: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV series) - Ralph
1965-1966: I Spy (TV series) - Cabbie/Genius/Reporter
1966: My Favorite Martian (TV series) - Orville
1965: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV series) - Reporter
1965: For the People (TV series) - Kojek
1964: Ben Casey (TV series) - Ambulance Attendant
1964: Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV series) - 1st Military Policeman
1964: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV series) - The Work Partner
1963: Arrest and Trial (TV series) - Armando Martinez
1959: Playhouse 90 (TV series) - Eladio