Joseph Sirola obit

Joseph Sirola, ‘King of the Voice-Overs,’ Dies at 89

 He was not on the list.

Joseph A. Sirola, who was dubbed the “King of Voice-Overs” for his extensive work in commercials, died Sunday in New York. He was 89 years old.

His rep confirmed that he died from complications of respiratory failure.

He was best known for his deep, resonant voice that appeared in advertisements for companies like Ford, GE, Wendy’s, Mobil, Nyquil, and more. Sirola’s voice also highlighted the “I Love New York” campaign and, for over 20 years, the Empire State Building tour. His voice-over work won him 25 Clio Awards, which recognizes creative excellence in advertising, and the Wall Street Journal even dubbed Sirola the “King of the Voice-Overs” in a front-page story in 1970.

Besides stage and TV, Sirola acted in film as well, opposite stars like Rock Hudson in “Strange Bedfellows,” Clint Eastwood in “Hang ‘Em High,” and Max von Sydow in 1965’s “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

Sirola also made over 600 TV appearances, from his own series “The Montefuscos, “The Magician,” and co-starring with Jack Scalia in “Wolf,” to his guest spots in shows like “Quincy,” “NYPD Blue,” and “Hawaii Five-O.” He also had guest roles on numerous other shows including “Mission Impossible,” “Andy Griffith,” “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and “Get Smart.”

Born in Carteret, New Jersey, in 1929, Sirola attended Columbia University and then served in the Korean War. His first role was in an off-Broadway play, and then he balanced appearing on Broadway in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” with his regular role on CBS’ “The Brighter Day.” Sirola continued on Broadway with roles in “The Golden Rainbow,” “Pal Joey,” and his favorite part, Alfie Doolittle in “My Fair Lady.”

In the last few years, Sirola was a Tony Award-winning producer whose credits included “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love And Murder,” “The Trip To Bountiful,” and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.”

Sirola is survived by his partner Claire Gozzo, his daughter, three granddaughters, and his goddaughter. A performer through and through, the week before he he died he told his rep, “Hey kid, when I get outta here, we have to find me a new agent.”

Filmography

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1959    Happy Anniversary            Waiter at El Morocco            Uncredited

1965    Strange Bedfellows            Petracini         

1965    The Greatest Story Ever Told            Dumah

1967    Chuka            Jake Baldwin           

1968    Hang 'Em High            Reno, Cooper Hanging Party  

1969    Three              

1970    The Delta Factor            Sal Dekker

1972    Hail            Rev. Jimmy Williams

1974    The Super Cops            Police Lt. O'Shaughnessy

1974    Seizure            Charlie Hughes

1994    Love Is a Gun   Al Kinder 

1997    Sunday            Joe Subalowsky

 

Actor

Joseph Sirola and Claude Aubourg in Codger (2015)

Codger

Short

Old Man

2015

 

Denis Leary in Rescue Me (2004)

Rescue Me

8.3

TV Series

Norman (as Joe Sirola)

2010

1 episode

 

Dick Van Dyke and Barry Van Dyke in Diagnosis Murder (1993)

Diagnosis Murder

6.8

TV Series

Ted Barkley

2001

2 episodes

 

Paramour

6.0

TV Mini Series

1999

 

Michael J. Fox, Barry Bostwick, Alan Ruck, Michael Boatman, Connie Britton, Alexander Chaplin, and Richard Kind in Spin City (1996)

Spin City

7.3

TV Series

Mario Forcini

1999

1 episode

 

NYPD Blue (1993)

NYPD Blue

7.7

TV Series

Rooster Rawlins

1999

1 episode

 

Morgan Fairchild in The City (1995)

The City

8.1

TV Series

Gino Soleito #2

1996–1997

70 episodes

 

Sunday (1997)

Sunday

6.7

Joe Subalowsky (as Joe Sirola)

1997

 

Mitzi Kapture and Rob Estes in Silk Stalkings (1991)

Silk Stalkings

6.5

TV Series

Judge Bill Cafferty

Tony Morella

1992–1995

2 episodes

 

Kelly Preston and Eric Roberts in Love Is a Gun (1994)

Love Is a Gun

4.8

Al Kinder

1994

 

Soloist

Short

Morton

1994

 

Civil Wars (1991)

Civil Wars

6.9

TV Series

Judge Enzo Beltratti (as Joe Sirola)

1992

1 episode

 

DEA (1990)

DEA

7.7

TV Series

Visiglia

1991

1 episode

 

Wendy's 1991 Dave's Deluxe Commercial (1991)

Wendy's 1991 Dave's Deluxe Commercial

Short

Narrator

1991

 

Wolf (1989)

Wolf

6.8

TV Series

Sal Wolf

1989–1990

11 episodes

 

Johnny Staccato (1959)

Gideon Oliver

6.0

TV Series

Grecco (as Joe Sirola)

1989

1 episode

 

Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker in Simon & Simon (1981)

Simon & Simon

7.0

TV Series

Matthew Haskell

Mobster (as Joe Sirola)

1986–1988

2 episodes

 

Catherine Keener, Pat Morita, Kevin Conroy, Jack Wallace, and Richard Yniguez in Ohara (1987)

Ohara

6.9

TV Series

Judge Locke

1987

1 episode

 

Ellen Burstyn, Megan Mullally, Barry Sobel, Elaine Stritch, and Jesse R. Tendler in The Ellen Burstyn Show (1986)

The Ellen Burstyn Show

7.6

TV Series

Phillip

1986

1 episode

 

George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict, and Dwight Schultz in The A-Team (1983)

The A-Team

7.5

TV Series

Nathan Vincent

1985

1 episode

 

Riptide (1984)

Riptide

6.8

TV Series

Sam Valentine

1984

1 episode

 

James Cagney in Terrible Joe Moran (1984)

Terrible Joe Moran

6.5

TV Movie

Capo

1984

 

Lee Horsley in Matt Houston (1982)

Matt Houston

6.5

TV Series

Uncle Phil

1984

1 episode

 

Jack Klugman in Quincy M.E. (1976)

Quincy M.E.

7.3

TV Series

Sal Angeletti

Lt. Sal Drasso

Mr. Silva ...

1979–1982

5 episodes

 

James Garner in Bret Maverick (1981)

Bret Maverick

7.5

TV Series

Nimrod Bligh

1982

1 episode

 

Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith in Charlie's Angels (1976)

Charlie's Angels

6.5

TV Series

Boris

1981

1 episode

 

David Soul in Swan Song (1980)

Swan Song

6.6

TV Movie

Adolfo

1980

 

The Rockford Files (1974)

The Rockford Files

8.2

TV Series

Henry Gersh

Joseph Minette

1979–1980

2 episodes

 

Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman (1975)

Wonder Woman

7.0

TV Series

Harrison Fynch

1979

2 episodes

 

Jason Robards, Robert Vaughn, Stefanie Powers, and Cliff Robertson in Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977)

Washington: Behind Closed Doors

8.0

TV Mini Series

Ozymandias (as Joe Sirola)

1977

2 episodes

 

Jayne Meadows and Michael McGuire in Meeting of Minds (1977)

Meeting of Minds

9.3

TV Series

Thomas Paine

1977

2 episodes

 

Joel Crothers in Somerset (1970)

Somerset

7.7

TV Series

Fred Harrington

1976

2 episodes

 

High Risk (1976)

High Risk

5.6

TV Movie

Guthrie

1976

 

The Montefuscos

3.5

TV Series

Tony Montefusco

1975

9 episodes

 

Mike Connors in Mannix (1967)

Mannix

7.4

TV Series

Harry (as Joe Sirola)

1975

1 episode

 

Valerie Harper in Rhoda (1974)

Rhoda

6.8

TV Series

Charlie Curran

1974

1 episode

 

Seizure (1974)

Seizure

4.7

Charlie Hughes

1974

 

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

8.4

TV Series

Benjamin Sposato

1974

1 episode

 

Bill Bixby in The Magician (1973)

The Magician

7.4

TV Series

Dominick (as Joe Sirola)

1974

11 episodes

 

The Super Cops (1974)

The Super Cops

6.6

Police Lt. O'Shaughnessy

1974

 

Love, American Style (1969)

Love, American Style

6.8

TV Series

Alvin (segment "Love and the Cryin' Cowboy")

1973

1 episode

 

Cry Rape (1973)

Cry Rape

6.2

TV Movie

Det. Sloane

1973

 

Kam Fong, Al Harrington, Jack Lord, and James MacArthur in Hawaii Five-O (1968)

Hawaii Five-O

7.4

TV Series

Jonathan Kaye

Jonathan Kay

1970–1972

5 episodes

 

Visions... (1972)

Visions...

6.8

TV Movie

George Simpson

1972

 

Hail (1972)

Hail

6.9

Rev. Jimmy Williams

1972

 

Diane McBain, Yvette Mimieux, and Ralph Taeger in The Delta Factor (1970)

The Delta Factor

4.1

Sal Dekker

1970

 

Three (1969)

Three

4.6

1969

 

Hang 'Em High (1968)

Hang 'Em High

7.0

Reno

1968

 

Jack DeLeon, Paul Frees, Gerald Mohr, and Jo Ann Pflug in Fantastic Four (1967)

Fantastic Four

6.6

TV Series

Doctor Doom (voice)

1967

3 episodes

 

Robert Vaughn, Leo G. Carroll, and David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964)

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

7.7

TV Series

General Paco Abaca

Malanez

Malik

1966–1967

3 episodes

 

Ernest Borgnine and Rod Taylor in Chuka (1967)

Chuka

6.3

Jake Baldwin

1967

 

Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Peter Graves, Peter Lupus, and Greg Morris in Mission: Impossible (1966)

Mission: Impossible

7.9

TV Series

Suverin (as Joe Sirola)

1966

1 episode

 

Don Adams and Barbara Feldon in Get Smart (1965)

Get Smart

8.2

TV Series

Harvey Satan

Van Cleff

1965–1966

2 episodes

 

Ben Gazzara in Run for Your Life (1965)

Run for Your Life

7.6

TV Series

Vilovic

1966

1 episode

 

Bruce Lee and Van Williams in The Green Hornet (1966)

The Green Hornet

7.4

TV Series

Charley (as Joe Sirola)

1966

1 episode

 

Raymond Burr in Perry Mason (1957)

Perry Mason

8.3

TV Series

Bill Sheridan

Dr. Raul Caudere

George Hale

1962–1965

3 episodes

 

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

The Greatest Story Ever Told

6.5

Dumah

1965

 

Strange Bedfellows (1965)

Strange Bedfellows

6.2

Petracini

1965

 

Death Valley Days (1952)

Death Valley Days

7.5

TV Series

Pittser Chisum

Stoney Carter

1965

2 episodes

 

James Franciscus in Mr. Novak (1963)

Mr. Novak

7.5

TV Series

Nelson (as Joe Sirola)

1964

1 episode

 

James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, and Dennis Weaver in Gunsmoke (1955)

Gunsmoke

8.1

TV Series

Eddie

Leroy

1963–1964

2 episodes

 

Combat! (1962)

Combat!

8.4

TV Series

Casper

1964

1 episode

 

Ron Howard, Frances Bavier, and Andy Griffith in The Andy Griffith Show (1960)

The Andy Griffith Show

8.4

TV Series

Freddy Fleet

1962

1 episode

 

Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni, and Robert Stack in The Untouchables (1959)

The Untouchables

8.0

TV Series

Vincent Tunis

1962

1 episode

 

Happy Anniversary (1959)

Happy Anniversary

5.7

Waiter at El Morocco (uncredited)

1959

 

Natalie Wood and Jacques Sernas in Camera Three (1955)

Camera Three

7.5

TV Series

1958

1 episode

 

The Brighter Day (1954)

The Brighter Day

6.9

TV Series

Peter Nino (1959-1960)

1954