Val Avery

Biography

Val Avery was an American character actor whose career spanned fifty years and more than a hundred films and three hundred television episodes. Born in Philadelphia, he acted with the Armenian Youth Federation and trained at the Bessie V. Hicks School of Drama. Often cast as rough, working-class figures such as lawmen, criminals, gangsters, barkeeps, and laborers, he became a frequent collaborator of John Cassavetes. His Cassavetes credits included Faces (1968), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), Gloria (1980), Too Late Blues (1961), and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976). Avery made his film debut uncredited in The Harder They Fall (1956) and later appeared in Papillon (1973), Hud (1963), The Long, Hot Summer (1958), Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), The Wanderers (1979), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), and Cobra (1986). On television he appeared in The Twilight Zone and four Columbo episodes, and he acted on Broadway in a 1969 to 1970 revival of The Front Page.

85years old at death

Born July 14, 1924Philadelphia
Died December 12, 2009Greenwich Village
Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22

Movie Career

Films: 36
Career span: 43 years1957 to 2000

Genres

Drama56%, 20 films
Crime47%, 17 films
Comedy31%, 11 films
Action17%, 6 films
Thriller17%, 6 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

First role
Val Avery made his film debut in an uncredited role in The Harder They Fall (1956), which was Humphrey Bogart's last film.
A change of course
Avery was a flight instructor in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. After that, he went to the Bessie V. Hicks School of Drama in Philadelphia.

Val Avery movies on Netflix

A Constant Forge2000IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
A Fish in the Bathtub1998IMDb rating 6.1as Abe
Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 81987IMDb rating 7.2as Superintendent of Police
Cobra1986IMDb rating 5.8as Chief Halliwell
The Pope of Greenwich Village1984IMDb rating 6.6as Nunzi
Too Scared to Scream1984IMDb rating 5.2as Dr. Richards
Easy Money1983IMDb rating 6.2as Louie the Bartender
The Sting II1983IMDb rating 4.9as O'Malley
Jinxed!1982IMDb rating 4.7as Milt Hawkins
Continental Divide1981IMDb rating 6.2as Yablonowitz
Sharky's Machine1981IMDb rating 6.3as Manny
Brubaker1980IMDb rating 7.2as Wendel
Gloria1980IMDb rating 7.1as Sill
Love and Bullets1979IMDb rating 5.6as Caruso
The Wanderers1979IMDb rating 7.3as Mr. Sharp
Harry and Walter Go to New York1976IMDb rating 5.4as Chatsworth
Let's Do It Again1975IMDb rating 6.7as Lt. Bottomley
Black Caesar1973IMDb rating 6.4as Cardoza
Papillon1973IMDb rating 8.0as Pascal
The Laughing Policeman1973IMDb rating 6.4as Insp. John Pappas SFPD
A Tattered Web1971IMDb rating 5.8as Bartender
Minnie and Moskowitz1971IMDb rating 7.2as Zelmo Swift
The Anderson Tapes1971IMDb rating 6.4as Parelli
The Traveling Executioner1970IMDb rating 6.3as Jake
Faces1968IMDb rating 7.4as Jim McCarthy
The Brotherhood1968IMDb rating 6.0as Jake Rotherman
Hombre1967IMDb rating 7.4as Delgado
Assault on a Queen1966IMDb rating 5.6as Trench
Nevada Smith1966IMDb rating 6.9as Buck Mason
The Hallelujah Trail1965IMDb rating 6.4as Bartender
Hud1963IMDb rating 7.8as Jose
Requiem for a Heavyweight1962IMDb rating 7.8as Young fighter's promoter
Too Late Blues1961IMDb rating 6.8as Milt Frielobe
Last Train from Gun Hill1959IMDb rating 7.3as Steve, Horseshoe Bartender'
The Long, Hot Summer1958IMDb rating 7.3as Wilk
Edge of the City1957IMDb rating 7.2as Brother

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Cobra1986 Action, Crime, Thrilleras Chief Halliwell
IMDb rating 5.887K votes
Papillon1973 Biography, Crime, Dramaas Pascal
IMDb rating 8.0147K votes
Easy Money1983as Louie the Bartender
IMDb rating 6.211K votes
Hud1963as Jose
IMDb rating 7.826K votes
Minnie and Moskowitz1971as Zelmo Swift
IMDb rating 7.25.9K votes
Faces1968as Jim McCarthy
IMDb rating 7.413K votes
The Anderson Tapes1971as Parelli
IMDb rating 6.410K votes
Continental Divide1981as Yablonowitz
IMDb rating 6.26.1K votes

Most often with

Martin Ritt directed five of these films, Stuart Rosenberg four and John Cassavetes four. Three actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Seymour Cassel

Gena Rowlands

Murray Hamilton

M. Emmet Walsh

Charles Durning

Paul Newman

Martin RittDirector, 5 films Stuart RosenbergDirector, 4 films

John CassavetesDirector, 4 films

Films together

Seymour Cassel4 films together, 1961 to 2000
Seymour Cassel's page
- A Constant Forge2000IMDb rating 7.4Avery as HimselfCassel as Himself
- Minnie and Moskowitz1971IMDb rating 7.2Avery as Zelmo SwiftCassel as Seymour Moskowitz
- Faces1968IMDb rating 7.4Avery as Jim McCarthyCassel as Chet
- Too Late Blues1961IMDb rating 6.8Avery as Milt FrielobeCassel as Red
Gena Rowlands4 films together, 1968 to 2000
Gena Rowlands's page
- A Constant Forge2000IMDb rating 7.4Avery as HimselfRowlands as Herself
- Gloria1980IMDb rating 7.1Avery as SillRowlands as Gloria Swenson
- Minnie and Moskowitz1971IMDb rating 7.2Avery as Zelmo SwiftRowlands as Minnie Moore
- Faces1968IMDb rating 7.4Avery as Jim McCarthyRowlands as Jeannie Rapp
Murray Hamilton4 films together, 1968 to 1984
Murray Hamilton's page
- Too Scared to Scream1984IMDb rating 5.2Avery as Dr. RichardsHamilton as Jack Oberman
- Brubaker1980IMDb rating 7.2Avery as WendelHamilton as John Deach
- A Tattered Web1971IMDb rating 5.8Avery as BartenderHamilton as Sgt. Joe Marcus
- The Brotherhood1968IMDb rating 6.0Avery as Jake RothermanHamilton as Jim Egan
M. Emmet Walsh3 films together, 1970 to 1984
M. Emmet Walsh's page
- The Pope of Greenwich Village1984IMDb rating 6.6Avery as NunziWalsh as Burns
- Brubaker1980IMDb rating 7.2Avery as WendelWalsh as C.P. 'Woody' Woodward
- The Traveling Executioner1970IMDb rating 6.3Avery as JakeWalsh as Warden Brodski
Charles Durning3 films together, 1976 to 2000
Charles Durning's page
- A Constant Forge2000IMDb rating 7.4Avery as HimselfDurning as Himself
- Sharky's Machine1981IMDb rating 6.3Avery as MannyDurning as Lt. Friscoe
- Harry and Walter Go to New York1976IMDb rating 5.4Avery as ChatsworthDurning as Rufus T. Crisp
Paul Newman3 films together, 1958 to 1967
Paul Newman's page
- Hombre1967IMDb rating 7.4Avery as DelgadoNewman as John Russell
- Hud1963IMDb rating 7.8Avery as JoseNewman as Hud Bannon
- The Long, Hot Summer1958IMDb rating 7.3Avery as WilkNewman as Ben Quick
Martin RittDirector, 5 films, 1957 to 1968
All films by Martin Ritt
- The Brotherhood1968IMDb rating 6.0Avery as Jake Rotherman
- Hombre1967IMDb rating 7.4Avery as Delgado
- Hud1963IMDb rating 7.8Avery as Jose
- The Long, Hot Summer1958IMDb rating 7.3Avery as Wilk
- Edge of the City1957IMDb rating 7.2Avery as Brother
Stuart RosenbergDirector, 4 films, 1973 to 1984
All films by Stuart Rosenberg
- The Pope of Greenwich Village1984IMDb rating 6.6Avery as Nunzi
- Brubaker1980IMDb rating 7.2Avery as Wendel
- Love and Bullets1979IMDb rating 5.6Avery as Caruso
- The Laughing Policeman1973IMDb rating 6.4Avery as Insp. John Pappas SFPD
John CassavetesDirector, 4 films, 1961 to 1980
All films by John Cassavetes
- Gloria1980IMDb rating 7.1Avery as Sill
- Minnie and Moskowitz1971IMDb rating 7.2Avery as Zelmo Swift
- Faces1968IMDb rating 7.4Avery as Jim McCarthy
- Too Late Blues1961IMDb rating 6.8Avery as Milt Frielobe
Also three films together3 more actors
- Whit BissellA Tattered Web (1971), The Hallelujah Trail (1965) and Hud (1963)
- Brian KeithSharky's Machine (1981), Nevada Smith (1966) and The Hallelujah Trail (1965)
- John CassavetesA Constant Forge (2000), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) and Edge of the City (1957)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.