Scarface and Breaking Bad star Mark Margolis dies after short illness as tributes pour in

Scarface and Breaking Bad star Mark Margolis has passed away at the age of 83 in New York City following a short illness, with fans of the Emmy Award nominated actor's work rushing to pay tribute to him online

Scarface and Breaking Bad star Mark Margolis has died at the age of 83. The actor's wife and son were by his side as he passed away on Thursday.

Tributes have been pouring in for the late star, who appeared in some of the biggest films and TV series over recent decades. Paying tribute to Mark, Robert Kolker of Red Letter Entertainment, his manager since 2007, said: "He was one of a kind. We won't see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him."

Mark is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Margolis, his son Morgan Margolis and his three grandchildren, Ben, Aiden and Henry Margolis. The family plans to host a private funeral and memorial and as requesting donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in lieu of flowers.

The actor was best known to Breaking Bad fans for his stint playing Hector 'Tio' Salamanca in the hit series and the spin-off, Better Call Saul. In 2016, he reprised that role as a younger version of the character. He guest-starred until 2022 in seasons two through six of AMC's multi-award nominated show, Better Call Saul.

Mark was also renowned for his break-out role of Alberto The Shadow in Scarface. Born in 1939 in Philadelphia, Mark moved to New York City at a young age to pursue an acting career. He started off focusing on theatre work, where he took on roles in Infidel Caesar, a Broadway production based on William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. It wasn't long before he founded a touring theatre company called Blue Dome.

When he turned his focus to television, he landed many roles in an array of shows including The Equalizer, Oz, Kings, American Horror Story: Asylum and more. He even had guest appearances in Gotham and Californication. He was also noted for his supporting roles in Ace Venture: Pet Detective, Darren Aronofsky's π, Requiem for A Dream, Black Swan and The Fountain. Margolis was most recently seen on Season 2 of the Showtime series Your Honor, playing the Mafia Kingpin Carmine Conti.

"He was part of one of the best scenes in TV history. RIP Mark Margolis, AKA Hector Salamanca," one Breaking Bad fan tweeted as they shared a clip of one of Mark's performances in the iconic series. Another added: "Rest In Peace you were an awesome actor and I enjoyed watching you on the screen very much."

"He was phenomenal. Non verbal acting from a typically speaking actor is very hard to do well imho. He was the best of the best," penned another fans as they paid tribute on Twitter and praised the late actor's talents. "This man was perfect in his role has Hector Salamanca. To hear him go out sucks so so much," another of the many online tributes began. "Thank you Mark Margolis for such a performance not just on BrBa and BCS but in other works as well."

* Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.