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Actor Michael Callan, best known for playing Riff in West Side Story on Broadway, passed away on October 10 at the age of 86. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Callan’s daughter Rebecca Goodman disclosed that her father died from pneumonia complications at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills on Monday night.
Callan was a part of the entertainment industry for around five decades. He was popular for his performances in musicals like West Side Story along with movies including Gidget Goes Hawaiian, The Interns, and Cat Ballou.
Michael Callan’s role in West Side Story
Michael Callan played the role of Riff in the original Broadway production of West Side Story in 1957. Riff is the leader of The Jets in the musical.
The musical was inspired by the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The premise was set in the mid-1950s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and it was about the rivalry between two teenage street gangs – the Jets and the Sharks.
The protagonist, Tony, is a former member of the Jets and Riff's. He falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks.
West Side Story was first adapted into a film in 1961 by Robert Wise and again in 2021 by Steven Spielberg. The 2021 movie featured Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in the lead roles. The 1961 film starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris.
Everything known about Michael Callan
Born on November 22, 1935, Martin Harris Calinieff used to sing and dance as a teenager and started dancing at local nightclubs when he was 15 years old. He then shifted to New York City and performed as Mickey Calin.
He was initially cast in two musicals - The Boy Friend and Catch a Star. He then auditioned for the role of Riff in West Side Story when he was 21 and managed to grab it after several attempts. Callan was spotted by talent scout Joyce Selznick from Columbia Pictures and they signed a seven-year deal with him.
He first appeared in the 1959 Western film, They Came to Cordura followed by The Flying Fontaines the same year. He portrayed the role of Griff Rimer in the 1960 drama film Because They’re Young and made a cameo appearance in Pepe. He was then cast in the 1962 film The Interns, which went on to become Columbia's biggest grossing film of the year. He continued to appear in films like Gidget Goes Hawaiian, Mysterious Island, 13 West Street, Bon Voyage!, The Victors, The New Interns, and more.
Michael Callan was also famous for his performances on television. He made his television debut with the lead role in the NBC sitcom, Occasional Wife. He then appeared in other TV shows like Breaking Point, The Name of the Game, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Marcus Welby, 12 O’Clock High, Charlie’s Angels, Fantasy Island, Love, American Style, and more.
He then appeared in the 1982 thriller horror film Double Exposure and was also the film’s producer alongside Von Deming and William Byron Hillman. He returned to the stage occasionally and appeared in several other musicals.
Michael Callan is survived by his daughters Dawn and Rebecca. He tied the knot with Carlyn Chapman in 1960 and they divorced in 1967. Michael then married Patricia Harty in 1968 and they split in 1970. His last marriage was to Kareen Malouf and they remained together from 1975 to 1984.
