[R.I.P.] Robert Loggia, star of 'Scarface,' 'Big,' dies at 85

(CNN)Robert Loggia, the gravelly voiced actor whose roles in such films as "Scarface," "Prizzi's Honor," "Big" and "Independence Day" generally consisted of tough guys with (occasionally) soft hearts, has died. He was 85.

Loggia died at noon Friday at his home in Brentwood, California, after a five-year struggle with Alzheimer's disease, according to his wife of 41 years, Audrey Loggia.
Loggia, who was born in 1930, began his acting career in the 1950s and was a successful player on TV for years, taking small roles in such series as "Hawaii Five-O" and "The Six Million Dollar Man."
But his career really didn't hit its stride until the 1980s, when a series of character roles made him a sought-after supporting figure.

Robert Loggia and Tom Hanks in the famous piano scene from the movie "Big."



In short order, he was drug lord Frank Lopez in the 1983 Al Pacino version of "Scarface;" a mobster in 1985's "Prizzi's Honor;" a private detective in 1985's "Jagged Edge;" and a toy company owner in 1988's "Big."
He was nominated for an Oscar for "Jagged Edge." He got to dance on an F.A.O Schwartz piano with Tom Hanks in "Big." The latter role, he observed, was extremely satisfying, especially since he and Hanks were originally going to be put aside for stand-ins.

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