Actor John Aprea Had a Long Career in Hollywood: A Look Back at His Life After His Death at Age 83

Beloved character actor John Aprea died on Monday, August 5, 2024, his manager, Will Levine, confirming, writing  on Facebook, “Sad to report the passing of longtime client and friend, John Aprea... Wonderfully talented journeyman actor loved by all.” The actor was 83, and the cause of his death is still unknown.  

He is survived by his wife, Betsy Graci, and his daughter, Nicole — who he shared with his ex-wife Ninon Aprea.  

Aprea was born on March 4, 1941, in Englewood, New Jersey, and is best known for his work in The Godfather Part II (1974) and Full House (1988 to 1991). But that’s not all he worked on. Over the course of his career, Aprea starred in 99 films and tv shows, and to honor him, we have rounded up the eight best and some fun behind-the-scenes facts about them. Keep scrolling for more.  

John Aprea in ‘Bullitt’  

SYNOPSIS: A senator tries to take down San Francisco's most notorious mob boss. The film starred Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn and earned $42.3 million at the box office. It is best known, though, for its infamous car chase scene.  

CHARACTER: Killer 

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1968 

WHERE TO STREAM: Bullitt is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.  

John Aprea in ‘The Godfather Part II’  

SYNOPSIS: The hit sequel to The Godfather follows an Italian immigrant family that lives in 1958 New York City, New York. The Godfather Part II stars Al Pacino and is Aprea’s most well-known role.  

CHARACTER: Young Tessio  

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1974 

FUN FACT: Aprea originally auditioned for the lead role in The Godfather before it went to Pacino, with director Ford Cappola explaining, “ I didn’t have a second choice. It was, for me, always Al Pacino. That’s the reason why I was so tenacious about getting him to play Michael. That was my problem.” 

WHERE TO STREAM: The Godfather Part II is available to stream on Paramount+.  

John Aprea in ‘Full House’  

SYNOPSIS: A group of guys live together in San Francisco, California, and try to take care of three young girls. Aprea played the recurring role of Nick Katsopolis, the father of John Stamos' character Jesse Katsopolis. Aprea appeared in seven episodes in total.  

CHARACTER: Nick Katsopolis  

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1988-1991 

WHERE TO STREAM: Full House is available to stream on Hulu. 

John Aprea in ‘Another World’  

SYNOPSIS: This wildly popular soap opera follows the dramatic lives of various families in Bay City. Aprea starred in 423 of the show's 8,891 episodes, making it NBC’s second longest-running soap opera of all time. It was also the first ever soap opera to have a storyline centered around AIDS.  

CHARACTER: Alexander Nikos and Lucas Castigliano 

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1989 to 1998.  

WHERE TO STREAM: Another World is currently unavailable for streaming.  

John Aprea in ‘New Jack City’  

SYNOPSIS: After a crime lord rises to power, a detective tries to stop him. The film starred Ice-T, Judd Nelson, Chris Rick and Wesley Snipes and was inspired by the Detroit, Illinois gang The Chambers Brothers.  

CHARACTER: Don Armeteo 

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1991 

WHERE TO STREAM: New Jack City is available to stream on Paramount+.  

John Aprea in ‘The Manchurian Candidate’  

SYNOPSIS: This film stars Denzel Washington and follows his character, Major Ben Marco, as he begins to realize that his friend — and vice-presidential candidate — Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber) might not be the war hero everyone thinks he is. The Manchurian Candidate was adapted from the 1962 hit movie of the same name and stars Meryl Streep and John Voight,  

CHARACTER: Rear Admiral Glick 

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2004 

WHERE TO STREAM: The Manchurian Candidate is available to stream on Max.  

 John Aprea in ‘Decker’  

SYNOPSIS: This legal thriller follows a CIA agent as he tries to protect the United States of America from terrorists. The show ran for six seasons, with Aprea appearing in 10 episodes.  

CHARACTER: General Cotter Clone 

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2016 to 2017 

WHERE TO STREAM: Decker is available to stream on Sling.  

John Aprea in ‘The Bay’

SYNOPSIS: A group of cops in Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, England, work together to solve crimes. The Bay is still airing, and Aprea worked on the show until 2023.  

CHARACTER: Jack Madison 

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2020 to 2023 

WHERE TO STREAM: The Bayr is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.  

May John Aprea rest in peace.  

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