The death was originally confirmed by the actor’s stepson, Max Martini, on Instagram, but the post has since been removed. Christopher Martini, another stepson of Margolin’s, told The Hollywood Reporter that the 82-year-old died of natural causes in Staunton, Virginia. Margolin was a very successful character actor, earning two Emmy Awards for his role as Angel in the detective series The Rockford Files, in which his character is the former cellmate of James Garner’s lead character Jim Rockford. Rockford turns over a new leaf, going from criminal to detective, and Angel causes trouble as one of his closest friends who can’t seem to let go of his convict past. In a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Margolin said, “I was being sought after as a young character actor and comedian until I had a choice to be on The Mary Tyler Moore Show or on Nichols with Jim Garner. I chose to work with Jim Garner because I thought I’d have more fun, which I never regretted.” “It was a great series with great writers and the favorite show Jim ever did. It closed down after a year, and then I was approached by Jim’s executive producer and Stephen J. Cannell to be part of [NBC’s] The Rockford Files. So my career got a little bigger, I won a couple of Emmys, and I’ve had a real steady career over the years with a lot of parts,” he continued. Along with The Rockford Files, he made an impact with great performances in many films like S.O.B., A Fine Mess, and Death Wish, and TV shows including Mr. Smith and Tom Stone. He also worked behind the camera as a director for many different TV shows, including Touched by an Angel, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Rockford Files.
