Abraham Vigoda the son of Samuel Vigoda (; ) and Lena Moses (; ), Jewish immigrants from Russia. His father was a tailor who had two other sons: Hy and Bill. The latter was a comic book artist who drew for the Archie Comics franchise and others in the 1940s. After leaving school, Vigoda worked as a printer before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1943, serving in World War II. After his military service, he studied acting on the G.I. Bill at the American Theatre Wing. In the late 1940s, he began working in radio, and made his television debut in an installment of the live drama series Studio One.
Career
thumb|264x264px|Vigoda as [[Phil Fish (character)|Phil Fish in Fish (1977)]]
Vigoda began acting while in his 20s, working with the American Theatre Wing. His career as a professional actor began in 1947.
He gained acting notoriety in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his work in Broadway productions, including Marat/Sade (1967), portraying Mad Animal; The Man in the Glass Booth (1968), portraying Landau; Inquest (1970); and Tough to Get Help (1972), portraying Abraham Lincoln. According to Francis Ford Coppola's commentary on the DVD's widescreen edition, Vigoda landed the role of Tessio in an "open call", in which actors who did not have agents could come for an audition.
He gained further fame as Phil Fish on Barney Miller, a character known for his world-weary demeanor and persistent hemorrhoids. Vigoda landed the role after an unusual audition, in which he unwittingly displayed that he was a perfect fit for the role: