Some interesting facts about Eli Wallach

 Eli Wallach Was almost killed during the train scene in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). He was asked by Sergio Leone to do the scene again, and he then replied: "I'll never do that again!".

Turned down the role in From Here to Eternity (1953) that won Frank Sinatra an Oscar.

Was trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.

One of three actors to play the character of Mr. Freeze on Batman (1966). (The other two were George Sanders and Otto Preminger). He once said that he has received more fan mail for that role than for any other role he has ever done.

Father, with Anne Jackson, of son Peter Wallach, and daughters Katherine Wallach andRoberta Wallach.

Was named as "King of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival in 1998. His wife Anne Jackson was named "Queen of Brooklyn" at the same festival.

Has appeared with Steve McQueen in both McQueen's first major successful film (The Magnificent Seven (1960)) and in his last film (The Hunter (1980).

One of his best known roles is the lead bandit Calvera in The Magnificent Seven (1960). Although his character is eventually defeated in the film, he has outlived six of the other seven stars, as Robert Vaughn (born 1932) is the only one who is still alive as of 2014, despite the fact that he (born 1915) is older than all of them.

He, his wife Anne Jackson and their daughter, Roberta Wallach, have all made guest appearances in Law & Order (1990) in different episodes.

In the Murder, She Wrote (1984) episode, Murder, She Wrote: A Very Good Year for Murder (1988), he played a dying man, "Salatore Gambini", who committed a murder because he had nothing to lose. In the Law & Order (1990) episode, Law & Order: The Working Stiff (1992), he played a character, "Simon Vilanis", who was suspected of committing a murder for the same reason although he ultimately proved to be innocent.

Has appeared with Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable in their final completed films: The Hunter (1980) and The Misfits (1961) (for both Monroe and Gable) respectively.

Has a brother and two sisters, all of whom became teachers.

He served for five years in the Army's Medical Administrative Corps during World War II, eventually attaining the rank of captain.

He had five grandchildren.

There was no official theater department at the University of Texas when he attended, so he joined a student organization called The Curtain Club to put on plays. One of the other students involved was future Governor of Texas John Connally.

In 1966, he starred in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) with Clint Eastwood. Thirty-seven years later, Eastwood directed Wallach in Mystic River (2003).

Is blind in the left eye due to a stroke.

While attending the University of Texas, he acted in many student plays. In one, he performed with fellow students Ann Sheridan and Walter Cronkite.

He has had two hip replacements and has arthritis in his back.

One of his fellow students at Parsons New School for Social Research in New York wasMarlon Brando.

Turned down the lead role of Harry Berlin in Luv (1967) that was eventually played byJack Lemmon.

In an interview on "Fresh Air" (at station WHYY in Philadephia, Pennsylvania, broadcast nationally on National Public Radio), he explained to Terry Gross that he learned to ride horses at the University of Texas: He took care of the polo ponies. During the filming of the The Magnificent Seven (1960), each morning he would ride a few hours with his gang.

Was friends with Walter Cronkite for over 70 years since they were both students at the University of Texas at Austin. Wallach was acknowledged at the Walter Cronkite memorial tribute at Lincoln Center and was in the audience.

His first film role was in 1949, on one of the earliest television series, The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse (1948), in the episode "The Beautiful Bequest".

Is the reader of the audio-book of Stephen King's "Insomnia".

Eli Wallach said Yes I won the BAFTA I thought the British were very intelligent

Here are some personal quotes of  Eli Wallach

I was at the premiere of The Holiday (2006), a movie I did with Kate Winslet. Surrounded by all these beautiful young women. And after they left, [wife Anne Jackson] comes up and says to me, "Honestly, I don't know what they see in you.".

Well, I go to the theater today, and its curtain - there is no curtain in this play; the lights go down and go up - and we start. And I live this character for two hours. There are only two of us in the play. And It's a complete experience.

I never lost my appetite for acting.

Having the critics praise you is like having the hangman say you've got a pretty neck.

I've learned that life is very tricky business: Each person needs to find what they want to do in life and not be dissuaded when people question them.

But Clint I love, because Clint was my mentor. I knew nothing about making an Italian movie.

When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

When I saw the movie, I said, I wish I had heard the music. I would have ridden the horse differently.
And that movie was underrated - Nuts - because it deals with a terrible subject, but It's very well done.

And I did Batman, too. I did Mr. Freeze. I get more mail for him than anything I've ever done.

Even if I don't want to slow down, I'm slowing down.

All of these stories bounced around in my mind for a long time.

But I went to the University of Texas in the 30s, and while there I learned to ride. Mostly polo ponies.

And then the first was The Misfits, which I enjoyed very much, with Marilyn and Gable.

Everyone thinks acting is easy. It's far from easy, but it's the most gratifying thing I do.

I love to tell stories and this is my way of getting them down on paper.

I always end up being the evil one, and I wouldn't hurt a fly.

I never dreamed I would do Westerns.

I was an original member of the Actors' Studio.

I always wanted to tell stories and act.

The big secret in acting is listening to people.

My first Western was called The Magnificent Seven.

I've worked with wonderful actors like Marlon Brando and Henry Fonda.

One thing changes every evening: It's the audience, and I'm working my magic. I'm always learning from it.

The trouble with that movie is that you had to see Chinatown the day before you saw The Two Jakes.

What is it in my makeup that makes me grab any offer and fly around the world? Will I ever be satisfied? Can't I ever just rest?

I met my wife and, for the next ten years, we did no films at all. She did the first movie and then I did several after. My first movie was written by Tennessee Williams and directed by Kazan and was called Baby Doll.

This country has a complex about age. It's unbelievable. If you're over thirty, you've had it in this country.

Well, I've maybe gotten 200 requests for interviews about Marilyn, and I just decided I'm gonna do my own.

Yes, I won the BAFTA. I thought the British were very intelligent.

Well, I was getting a lot of money then, and I wasn't getting any Hollywood films, so I just did those. I'd always do a play in between. Whenever I ran low on funds, I'd always rush off to do a movie somewhere.