John Aprea, the actor known for his roles in The Godfather Part II and Full House, has died. He was 83.
According to his manager Will Levine, Aprea died of natural causes on Monday, Aug. 5 at his Los Angeles home, where he was surrounded by family.
Born March 4, 1941 in Englewood, New Jersey, Aprea made his onscreen debut in 1968’s Bullitt, alongside Steve McQueen. He went on to one of his most memorable performances as Young Tessio in The Godfather Part II (1974) after auditioning to play Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola‘s original 1972 film.
Aprea once said working with Coppola and actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro was “the high point” of his career, adding, “I was surrounded by the best in The Godfather.”
He also appeared in such films as The Stepford Wives (1975), New Jack City (1991), The Game (1997), Dead Man on Campus (1998) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004).
John Aprea in a promo shot for Matt Houston taken on June 4, 1982. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Aprea had a recurring role on Full House, and later Fuller House, as Jesse’s (John Stamos) father Nick Katsopolis. His TV credits also include The Gangster Chronicles, Matt Houston and Knots Landing, as well as episodes of Wonder Woman, Three’s a Crowd, The A-Team, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Fall Guy, Falcon Crest, Tales from the Dark Side, Night Court, Melrose Place, Saved by the Bell: The New Class and The Sopranos.
Aprea’s Knots Landing co-star Paul Carafotes paid tribute to the late actor on Saturday. “We had lots of laughs,” he wrote in part. “We met on the set of CBS television show Knots Landing, 1987, over 40 years ago. Many will miss this man! Rest old friend. I’ll see you on the other side.”
