John Marley was an American actor who was known for his role as Phil Cavalleri in Love Story and as Jack Woltz— the defiant film mogul who awakens to find the severed head of his prized horse in his bed—in The Godfather. He starred in John Cassavetes' feature Faces and appeared in The Glitter Dome.
Marley was a prolific character actor, appearing in nearly 150 films and television series during a career that spanned forty-five years. TV series included The Web, Peter Gunn, Johnny Staccato, Bourbon Street Beat, Rawhide, The Untouchables, Sea Hunt, 77 Sunset Strip, The Lloyd Bridges Show, Dr. Kildare, The Outer Limits, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Mannix, Bonanza, Ironside, The Name of the Game, The F.B.I., Cannon, McCloud, , Baretta, Barnaby Jones, and Hawaii Five-0. He was cast as George Campbell in the 1961 episode "Jerkwater" of the ABC western series, The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. In 1962 he played the role of murderer Matthew Owen in the Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Angry Astronaut." One of Marley's most notable roles, albeit short, was that of film producer Jack Woltz in The Godfather. Marley later spoofed that role in an episode of SCTV Network. He played Max Berns, a film producer who was a caring father figure to Burt Reynolds in the stuntman tribute, Hooper. In the late 70's, he appeared in the third season of the popular television series, The Incredible Hulk as D.W. Banner, the father of the main character, David Banner, in the "Homecoming" episode.
Stage
Marley's Broadway credits include The Investigation, Sing Till Tomorrow, The Strong Are Lonely, Skipper Next to God, and Johnny Doodle. Elsewhere on stage, Marley appeared in the world premiere production of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetry drama, Conversation At Midnight in 1961 in Los Angeles, in an ensemble cast which included James Coburn, Jack Albertson and Eduard Franz. The production was directed by Robert Gist and produced by Worley Thorne and Susan Davis. He also directed Little Theater productions in several cities.
Personal life
Marley was twice married. His first wife, the actress Stanja Lowe bore him three children. Their son, the actor Ben Marley has appeared in many films, including Jaws 2.
