Joseph Anthony Sirola (October 7, 1929 – February 10, 2019), also known as The King of the Voice-Overs,[3][4] was an American commercial, film, television, theatre actor and theatre producer.

Joseph Sirola
Cast of The Montefuscos (1975). Sal Viscuso, John Aprea, Linda Dano, Bill Cort. Middle row: Phoebe Dorin, Naomi Stevens, Joseph Sirola, Ron Carey. Front: Dominique Pinassi, Jeffrey Palladini, Damon Raskin and Robby Paris.
Born	Joseph Anthony Sirola (1929-10-07)October 7, 1929 Carteret, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	February 10, 2019(2019-02-10) (aged 89)[1] New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Columbia University[2]
Occupation	Commercial, film, television, theatre actor and theatre producer
Years active	1959–2015

Life and career

Sirola was born in Carteret, New Jersey to Croatian parents Anton, a carpenter and Ana (née Dubrovich), who ran a boardinghouse at 363 West 19th Street in Chelsea. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1947 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from Columbia University in 1951.[5][6] He then worked as a sales promotion manager at the multinational personal care corporation Kimberly-Clark, at the age of 28.[7]

Sirola began his career in 1959, as appearing in the soap opera television series The Brighter Day, playing the role of Peter Nino.[8] Later in his career, he co-starred in a Broadway play, The Unsinkable Molly Brown,[9] playing the role of "Christmas Morgan", in 1960.[10]

In 1960s–1970s, Sirola co-starred in another Broadway play, Golden Rainbow,[11] playing the role of Lou Garrity, in 1968.[10] He also appeared in a few films and television programs including Gunsmoke, Hang 'Em High, The Andy Griffith Show,[12][13] Chuka, Get Smart, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason, Strange Bedfellows and The Greatest Story Ever Told.[7][14][15] Sirola was later nicknamed by the name The King of the Voice-Overs from The Wall Street Journal, in 1970.[7][16]

In 1970s–2000s, Sirola appeared and guest-starred in numerous film and television programs including Hawaii Five-O, The Super Cops, Mannix, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Wonder Woman, Quincy, M.E., Seizure, The Rockford Files, Spin City, Love, American Style, Charlie's Angels, Terrible Joe Moran, Diagnosis: Murder, The Ellen Burstyn Show and Washington: Behind Closed Doors.[14][15] He also starred in two short-lived television programs, The Montefuscos[17] and Wolf.[18] Sirola also did voice-over work for numerous television commercials from the 1970s thru the 1990s including ads for Ford, Mobil, Wendy's and Nyquil.[2]

In 2000s–2015, Sirola began producing for Broadway plays, including, Time Stands Still, Stick Fly, The Trip to Bountiful, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder and Love Letters.[10] He also won and was nominated for Drama Desk Awards and Tony Awards.[10][19] Sirola retired his career, in 2015.

Death

Sirola died in February 2019 of complications from respiratory failure at the hospital in New York, at the age of 89.[2][7][20][14][16][21]

Filmography

References

External links

• Joseph Sirola at IMDb
• Joseph Sirola at the TCM Movie Database
• Joseph Sirola at AllMovie
• Rotten Tomatoes profile