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George Vlachos- one of the greats. He will be missed.

We at El Segundo headquarters are very sad to announce the passing of George Vlachos, who transitioned from this world Thursday morning, May 28, 2009.   He is survived by his wife and companion of many years, Gretchen MacLaine.

The memorial service will be held Thursday, June 11 @ 3pm

Rutgers Presbyterian Church 236 W. 73rd St. New York, NY 10023

In the meantime, I invite you to leave comments and memories of George in the comment section below.

I first met George in the late 90s in New York City, where he lived for his entire adult life.¬† I was a young actor, brash, stupid, and full of beans.¬† We were doing a production of Sam Shepard’s Geography of a Horse Dreamer.¬† Aside from the rigors of the show, it was a great experience.¬† I recall drunken evenings riding the subway uptown with George and Colter Rule, where they broke into song, loud and proud.¬† I was so cool, so mortified.¬† Years later, I understand the simple pleasure of singing out loud in public with friends.

I remember George’s stories, getting blow for Belushi, his walk on part in Wall Street, his youthful days as a dashing young Greek in the big city.¬† I spent many hours on the couch at George and Gretchen’s, getting shade from Milo the cat, laughing at the stories, feeling the love.¬† They were my model for how a couple can live as one in a small space, feed each other, and feed off each other. They were a vital part of my support system.¬† I brought my future wife to meet them before I ever made the decision to settle down.

When Roy and I wrote El Segundo, we had to write a role for George, and he was fantastic.  He WAS the Varmint, he was a great man, he was my friend.

I miss him terribly.

Hank Jacobs, Los Angeles, 5.29.09

Here is a fine example of George’s work, in the short film “Desk Jockey”, written and directed by Jeffrey Velazquez.

Jockey

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Pedro Armendariz, Jr.

The son of Mexican film legend Pedro Armendariz, Pedro Armendariz Jr. has become a film and television star in his own right in Mexico and abroad.

He started acting in the ’70s, mostly with bit parts in violent Westerns starring Anthony Quinn, John Wayne, or Clint Eastwood.

During the ’80s he made a lot of films in Mexico and eventually worked in Europe and Hollywood.

While a leading man in his native country, he had mostly walk-on roles in U.S. productions.

American audiences may recognize him as President Hector Lopez in License to Kill or Pancho Villa in The Old Gringo. Other small roles
continued in Before Night Falls, The Mexican, Original Sin, and The Crime of Father Amaro. Back in Mexico, he finally received recognition for his acting with starring roles in the award-winning film La Ley de Herodes and Su Alteza Serenizma. In 2003, he appeared in John Sayles’s Casa de los Babys and Robert Rodriguez’s Once Upon A Time in Mexico.

Alana De La Garza was born in Columbus, Ohio and later relocated to Texas, ultimately attending the University of Texas. After college she moved to Orlando, Florida, landing roles in a number of independent films as well as commercials. Her work took her to New York, where she studied extensively under renowned acting instructor Joanna Beckson. After getting her break as Rosa Santos on the daytime drama “All My Children” (1970), Alana moved to Los Angeles. A slew of guest spots followed. One of the most recognizable was her role as a con artist on the hit show “Las Vegas” (2003), followed by a series lead on the WB’s “The Mountain” (2004). She recently completed the romantic comedy “Mr. Fixit” (2006) opposite David Boreanez and has been guesting on “CSI: Miami” (2006), before joining the cast of “Law & Order” in June 2006.