{{short description|American actor}}
{{Infobox person |name=Leonard Termo |birth_date=March 6, 1935 |birth_place=Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |death_date={{Death date and age|2012|10|30|1935|3|6}} |death_place=Santa Clarita, California, U.S. }} '''Leonard Termo''' (March 6, 1935 – October 30, 2012) was an American character actor whose numerous film and television roles included ''Fight Club'', ''Johnny Dangerously'', and ''Seinfeld''.<ref name=thr>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Barnes|title=Character Actor Leonard Termo Dies at 77 |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lenny-termo-mickey-rourke-seinfeld-384835 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2012-11-02 |accessdate=2012-11-22}}</ref>
Termo was born in Brooklyn, New York.<ref name=thr/> He worked as a businessman in Manhattan's Garment District until he left the industry in the mid-1970s to pursue acting as a full-time profession.<ref name=thr/> In a November 1983 ''New York'' magazine article profiling actor Mickey Rourke, Termo told the interviewer that he had given up much of his life to continue acting, saying he "left it all—my wife, my kid, my money, everything... I love acting. I'm broke. I sleep on a cot."<ref name=thr/> Termo made his film debut in the 1983 movie ''Heart Like a Wheel''.<ref name=thr/>
Termo formed a long personal and professional friendship with Rourke during the 1980s after Rourke saw Termo performing at a theater in Los Angeles.<ref name=thr/> ''The Hollywood Reporter'' described the duo as "constant companions" for years.<ref name=thr/> Termo appeared in five of Rourke's films throughout the 1980s, beginning with ''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' in 1984.<ref name=thr/> Rourke and Termo had appeared together in ''Year of the Dragon'' in 1985, ''Barfly'' in 1987, ''A Prayer for the Dying'', also released in 1987, and ''Homeboy'' in 1988.<ref name=thr/> Termo and Rourke were also set to co-star in a film on 1930s-era gangster Jack "Legs" Diamond (with Rourke as Diamond and Termo portraying Diamond's bodyguard), but the proposed Embassy Pictures movie was never made.<ref name=thr/>
Termo's other 1980s film roles included ''The Cotton Club'' in 1984; ''Johnny Dangerously'' in 1984; and ''Turk 182'' in 1985.<ref name=thr/> His film career continued in the 1990s and 2000s with parts in ''Ruby'' in 1992; the Tim Burton film ''Ed Wood'' in 1994, in which he played a make-up artist; ''Lost Highway'' in 1997; ''Fight Club'' in 1999; and ''Ali'' in 2001.<ref name=thr/>
His television credits included ''Wiseguy'' and ''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''. Termo appeared in the premiere episode of the comedy television series ''Seinfeld''{{'s}} fifth season—in "The Mango", aired on September 16, 1993, Termo portrayed Joe, the owner of Joe's Fruits store, who bans both Kramer (Michael Richards) and Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) from his store after Kramer criticizes one of his bad peaches.<ref name=thr/>
Termo died in his sleep at his home in Santa Clarita, California, on October 30, 2012, at the age of 77.<ref name=thr/> His death was confirmed by Termo's friend, actor Elias Koteas.<ref name=thr/> On November 2, 2012, actor Matt Dillon dedicated an award he received at the Savannah Film Festival in honor of Termo, who was also a friend of Dillon's.<ref name=thr/><ref name=su>{{cite news|first=Bill|last=Dawers|title=Matt Dillon honored at Savannah Film Festival, dedicates award to Leonard Termo |url=http://www.billdawers.com/2012/11/03/matt-dillon-honored-at-savannah-film-festival-dedicates-award-to-leonard-termo/ |work=Savannah Unplugged |date=2012-11-03 |accessdate=2012-11-22}}</ref>
==Partial filmography== {{Div col}} *Heart Like a Wheel (1983) as Good Joe *''Dragster'' (1983) - Good Joe *''Blood Feud'' (1983) - L.A. Teamster *''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' (1984) - Fat Waldo *''The Cotton Club'' (1984) - Danny *''Johnny Dangerously'' (1984) - Tony Scarano *''Turk 182'' (1985) - Barricade Cop *''Year of the Dragon'' (1985) - Angelo Rizzo *''A Prayer for the Dying'' (1987) - Bonati *''Barfly'' (1987) - Harry *''Zits'' (1988) - KGB Chief *''Bloodhounds of Broadway'' (1989) - Goodtime Nate Fishkin *''Hider in the House'' (1989) - George / Exterminator *''My Blue Heaven'' (1990) * ''Midnight Cabaret'' - Lt. McMurphy *''Mobsters'' (1991) - Joe Palermo *''29th Street'' (1991) - Dr. Puccini *''Ruby'' (1992) - Tony Ana *''Nowhere to Run'' (1993) - Bus Guard *''Gettysburg'' (1993) - Cpl. George F. Estabrook *''Ed Wood'' (1994) - Makeup Man Harry *''Mojave Moon'' (1996) - Shorty *''Lost Highway'' (1997) - Judge (voice) *''Gone Fishin''' (1997) - Vending Worker #1 *''Lover Girl'' (1997) - Mr. Johnny *''Godzilla'' (1998) - Homeless Guy *''Ballad of the Nightingale'' (1999) - Tony the Tank *''Fight Club'' (1999) – Desk Sergeant *''Family Tree'' (1999) – Vince *''Blood Type'' (1999) – Chauffeur *''Double Bang'' (2001) – Al Lucito *''Ali'' (2001) – Madison Square Garden Reporter #1 *''Gods and Generals'' (2003) – Glazier Estabrook (uncredited) (final film role) {{div col end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0855657|Leonard Termo}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Termo, Leonard}} Category:2012 deaths Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Male actors from Santa Clarita, California Category:Male actors from Brooklyn Category:1935 births Category:American people of Italian descent