John Aprea, the actor known for starring in “The Godfather Part II” and playing John Stamos’ father in “Full House,” has died. He was 83.
The New Jersey-born star died of natural causes on Aug. 5 at his Los Angeles home, his manager Will Levine announced, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Aprea kicked off his Hollywood career with his debut role in 1968’s “Bullitt” alongside Steve McQueen before starring in one of his most famous roles as Young Tessio in 1974’s “The Godfather Part II.”
He went on to appear in films like 1975’s “The Stepford Wives,” 1991’s “New Jack City” and 2004’s “The Manchurian Candidate,” which starred leading man Denzel Washington.
Aprea’s career was also packed with numerous TV credits, including “The A-Team,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “The Sopranos,” “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” “Three’s a Crowd” and “The Fall Guy.”
Most recently, Aprea starred in the British drama TV series “The Bay” from 2020-23.
In 2020, Aprea gushed about the lasting impression “The Godfather Part II” had on him in a 2020 interview with Digital Journal.
“‘The Godfather: Part II’ just stays with you, it’s a part of who you are. It is one of the best films ever made,” he said at the time. “Each time it comes on television, I tell myself ‘I’m not going to see it again,’ but before I know it, I’ve watched every minute of it.”
“Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo wrote an amazing screenplay,” he added.