Telly Savalas was the Vin Diesel of his time. Coincidentally, he also looks like Vin Diesel in this picture. He was known for having a deep, gravelly voice, just like Vin Diesel. He was a character actor who worked for decades on notable films like The Dirty Dozen, Battle of the Bulge, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and even played the villain in a Bond film, Her Majesty's Secret Service. Being a Bond villain has to be one of the coolest roles for an actor. There are certain iconic roles that really cement an actor in film history. Being a Bond villain is definitely one of those roles.
For his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He's an incredibly versatile actor who would later get into TV acting on the crime drama Kojak.