Paul Porcasi

Paul Porcasi (January 1, 1879 – August 8, 1946) was an Italian-born actor and singer who built a career spanning opera, Broadway, and film. A native of Palermo, Italy, he performed with the Metropolitan Opera before transitioning to theatrical and screen work.

Porcasi's stage career extended from 1916 to 1926, encompassing a range of productions across more than a decade. Among his earlier credits were Follow Me (1916), Blind Youth (1917), Little Simplicity (1918), and The Country Boy. He continued to appear in notable productions throughout the early 1920s, including Jimmie (1920), The Texas Nightingale (1922), and The National Anthem (1922), as well as Oh Mama (1925). His final Broadway engagement was Broadway, which opened on September 16, 1926, at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for 603 performances through February 11, 1928. In that production he played Nick Verdis, a role he would reprise in Universal's 1929 film adaptation, where the character was billed as Nick the Greek.

Porcasi made his film debut in Fall of the Romanoffs in 1917 and went on to appear in more than 140 films through 1945. Among his screen credits was MGM's adventure film Tarzan and His Mate (1934).

Porcasi and his wife Rose Marie had one son. He died on August 8, 1946, at his home in Van Nuys, California, at the age of 67.