Photo: Michael Boardman/WireImage
John Aprea — who played a young Tessio in The Godfather Part II and Uncle Jesse’s father in Full House — has died. He was 83. Cause of death, given to The Hollywood Reporter by his manager, was natural causes. Besides his roles in two of America’s greatest decades-spanning familial sagas, Aprea appeared in three Jonathan Demme films: Caged Heat, Crazy Mama, and his remake of The Manchurian Candidate. He also played two different characters on soap opera Another World.
Born in 1941, Aprea met Francis Ford Coppola while bartending. Aprea had already done some work in film, such as a hitman in Bullit. He auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone, but lost out to Al Pacino. Coppola remembered Aprea when casting Part II and gave him the role of young Salvatore Tessio. Aprea called Abe Vigoda, who played the character in the first film, for insights into his character. “I don’t know what I did,” Vigoda told him. “Just have a good time, kid.”
Aprea played the father of Uncle Jesse, Nick Katsopolis, on both Full House and Fuller House. His strict, paternalistic parenting style was juxtaposed against the “three dads, no anger” vibes of the Tanner-Katsopolos-Gladstone family. Jesse names one his twins after him.
On Another World, Aprea played gangster Lucas Castigliano and shipping magnate Alexander Nikos. Per THR, both characters were shot to death by women. Both character were also the love interest of Felicia Gallant, played by Linda Dano.
