Actor Stuart Margolin: Iowa Time Machine January 31, 1940

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On January 31, 1940, Emmy-award-winning actor Stuart Margolin was born in Davenport. Every television viewer recognized the smooth-talking ex-con who constantly dragged his private investigator friend into trouble as Evelyn “Angel” Martin on “The Rockford Files.”

Margolin's early years proved turbulent. Born in Davenport but raised in Dallas, he experienced a troubled youth that landed him in juvenile court. His early brush with the law later informed his most famous role. His older brother, Arnold Margolin, already established as an actor in New York City, encouraged the younger Margolin to attend a summer acting camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. A connection made there with one of the teachers led to a job at the Pasadena Playhouse in California and launched his career. The 1960s offered steady work for character actors willing to take small roles across numerous series. Margolin appeared in "The Fugitive," "Ironside," and "Bewitched," building a reputation as a reliable professional who could convincingly inhabit any role.

Margolin’s big break came when he was paired with James Garner first in the Western series "Nichols" (1971-72), playing a character somewhat similar to the one that would make him famous. Garner remembered the young actor when casting began for his new detective series. Angel Martin, the shifty informant and former cellmate who visited Jim Rockford's trailer with schemes that always seemed brilliant until they exploded, became an American television icon. Margolin won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1979 and 1980, making him one of five actors to win this award twice for the same role.

Margolin's talents extended far beyond acting. He directed episodes of "Magnum P.I.," "Northern Exposure," "Quantum Leap," and dozens of other series, demonstrating versatility behind the camera. He also wrote songs with friend Jerry Riopelle, co-writing the 1969 hit "Day After Day (It's Slippin' Away)" which reached number 39 in Canada. His 1980 solo album "And the Angel Sings" featured his musical interpretations. Margolin lived for 22 years on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia before moving to Staunton, Virginia, for cancer treatment. He died on December 12, 2022, after battling pancreatic cancer. #Iowa #OTD #History #Entertainment #TV