John Aprea, an actor whose extensive TV résumé included parts on Another World and Full House, has died at age 83.
Aprea died of natural causes on August 7 while surrounded by family at home in Los Angeles, manager Will Levine told TMZ.
The actor got his start in the 1968 film Bullitt, playing a killer opposite Steve McQueen’s title detective. After guest-starring roles in the TV series Mannix and The FBI, Aprea played young Salvatore Tessio in the 1974 film The Godfather Part II.
Aprea had previously auditioned for the role of The Godfather’s Michael Corleone, a role that went to Al Pacino, but considered playing young Sal his greatest achievement, according to TMZ.
“The Godfather Part II just stays with you, it’s a part of who you are. It is one of the best films ever made,” Aprea told Digital Journal in 2020. “Each time it comes on television, I tell myself, ‘I’m not going to see it again,’ but before I know it, I’ve watched every minute of it. Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo wrote an amazing screenplay.”
On TV, Aprea played Nick Katsopolis, father of John Stamos’ Jesse, in both Full House in the late 1980s and the sequel series Fuller House nearly three decades later.
Barry Morgenstein/NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
He also appeared in hundreds of episodes of the soap Another World between 1989 and 1998, playing criminal Luke Castigliano and multimillionaire Alexander Nikos.
Aprea’s other TV roles include playing Lt. Vince Novelli on Matt Houston, Sheriff Jack North on Falcon Crest, and Manny Vasquez on Knots Landing.
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In an Instagram post, Knots Landing actor Paul Carafotes mourned Aprea, calling him an “old pal” with whom he had “lots of laughs.”
Aprea’s film roles included parts in 1975’s The Stepford Wives, 1991’s New Jack City, and 2004’s The Manchurian Candidate.
His most recent credit was a nine-episode stint as Jack Madison in the web series The Bay. “I’ve been a fan of John Aprea’s work for many years,” showrunner Gregori J. Martin told Digital Journal. “He is a true class gentleman, and it has been such an honor to direct him.”
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