Mark Margolis ethnicity explored as Breaking Bad star dies aged 83

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul star, Mark Margolis, recently passed away on Thursday, August 3, at the age of 83. He was admitted to the Mt. Sinai Hospital for some illness which led to his demise, as per his son Morgan. Mark was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and his ethnicity was Ashkenazi Jewish.

Deadline reported that Mark's manager, Robert Kolker, issued a statement after his death. Robert called Mark the kindest person he ever met.

Breaking Bad actor, Bryan Cranston, shared a Facebook post, writing that Mark was "fun and engaging" outside the set and "intimidating and frightening" inside. Giancarlo Esposito stated that Mark used to make him laugh and cry.

Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad paid tribute to Mark Margolis on Facebook. The caption of the posts mentioned that Mark made Hector Salamanca an unforgettable character on television.

A private funeral has been organized by Mark's family members. His survivors include wife Jacqueline, son Morgan, grandsons Ben, Aidan, and Henry, and brother Jerome.

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Mark Margolis' parents were Jewish emigrants

Mark Margolis was born to Jewish emigrants (Image via Rachel Murray/Getty Images)

Born on November 26, 1939, as Mark Neal Margolis, his parents Fanya Fried and Isidore Margolis were Jewish emigrants. His father was a native of Holobudy and his mother was from Borispol, Kyiv. His mother, Fanya, was a decorator with a wallpaper company while his father, Isidore, worked in a factory.

Mark first joined Temple University before dropping out and moving to NYC. Actress Stella Adler was his guide at the Actors Studio. While speaking to The Observer in 2012, Mark revealed that he was 19 years old at the time and Stella was 60.

Margolis also had to face financial problems at a very young age. He later worked at a coffee house as a manager, built theatrical artwork installations, and took geodesic domes to various colleges.

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Mark Margolis was active in the entertainment industry from 1959

Mark Margolis started his career with the 1976 film, The Opening of Misty Beethoven. He then appeared in more films and later started his television career in 1982. His first TV series was The Equalizer, where he portrayed Jimmy from 1985 to 1989.

Mark then appeared as Helmut Dieter in Santa Barbara and Antonio Nappa in Oz. Margolis' appearances as Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul made him popular among the public.

Margolis appeared in various films like Glory, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Trouble on the Corner, Valley of Bones, and more. His last performance on screen was as Carmine Conti in the Showtime series, Your Honor.