Career
Colasanto was best known for his role as Coach Ernie Pantusso on the sitcom Cheers. He directed the 1972 Columbo episode "Étude in Black". He also appeared in feature films, including Fat City and Family Plot.
An in-demand director, he had been diagnosed with heart disease in the mid-1970s, which was exacerbated by his alcoholism. He began having trouble securing directing jobs by the end of the 1970s due to his declining health. His last major film role was that of mob boss Tommy Como in Raging Bull.
Colasanto was prepared to retire when the role of Coach Ernie Pantusso was offered to him on Cheers. Coach would become Colasanto's best known role.
Suffering from heart disease, his health worsened by the third season of Cheers. Castmates noticed his weight loss, though the actor chose to keep the severity of his illness a secret. Shortly after the Christmas holiday in 1984, he was admitted to a local hospital due to water in his lungs. Co-star Ted Danson later commented that the veteran actor had difficulty remembering his lines during production of the season.
After being released from the hospital, Colasanto's doctor recommended he not return to work. Although he appeared in the cold opening of the third season finale episode, "Rescue Me" (1985), his last full episode was "Cheerio Cheers" (1985), filmed in late November 1984.
Colasanto's character was written out of the show as also having died. The fourth season premiere episode, "Birth, Death, Love and Rice" (1985), dealt with Coach's death as well as introducing Colasanto's replacement, Woody Harrelson.
Read more about this topic: Nicholas Colasanto
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