365 Days of Columbo: June 15th

Feliz Cumpleañous Jorge Rivera!

Born Jorge Pous Rosas in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico on June 15, 1938 he's a Mexican actor, known for his work in both America and Europe, primarily in Spanish-language media. He was an excellent athlete from an early age, excelling in track, jai alai, and water polo. He also became a bodybuilder at a young age and has maintained his physique throughout his life.

He graduated from Colegio Universitario Mexicano in 1960 with a degree in chemical engineering.

Jorge's acting career began with his first film, "The Invisible Assassin" (1965), where he wore a mask throughout the film. His breakthrough role came in "El Mexicano" (1966), which made him an overnight star in Mexico. He then appeared in several other films, including "The Sin of Adam and Eve" (1969), where he and his American co-star Candy Wilson appear nude throughout most of the film. By 1970, Jorge had offers from Hollywood and acted in big-budget films like "Soldier Blue" (1970), "Rio Lobo" (1970), and "The Last Hard Men" (1976). He continued to act in Mexican, Italian, and U.S. productions, including appearances in Lucio Fulci's 1983 fantasy film "Conquest" and the all-star action film "Counterforce" in 1988.

A small role on Columbo

Jorge Rivero appeared in A Matter of Honor as Carlos, the guy who washes the cars.

Since the 1980s, Jorge has worked only occasionally in Mexican films and soap operas. He has lived in Southern California for more than a decade but shows up in international productions, sometimes billed as "George Rivero".

Happy Birthday Sergeant Major Keegan!

Andy Romano, born as Andrew RomaSanta on April 16, 1936, was known to Columbo fans as the victim, Sergeant Major Keegan, in Season 8's Grand Deceptions.

Beyond Columbo

Andy's acting career began in 1962. He is best known for playing "J.D.", an outlaw motorcyclist and right-hand henchman of the character Eric von Zipper (played by Harvey Lembeck) in the 1960s Beach Party movies, which starred Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. 

After the Beach Party movies stopped filming, Romano appeared in minor roles on television episodes and some TV movies through much of the 1970s. In the late 1980s, he returned to movies in supporting roles, though he continued to guest-star on TV series, including NYPD Blue. Some of his notable film appearances include "Under Siege" (1992), "Major League" (1989), and "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory" (1995).

Romano retired from acting in the late 1990s and settled in Washington state. He passed away on September 14, 2022, at the age of 86.

Happy birthday Mark Arnott!

Mark Arnott is an actor, martial artist, and author, born in Chicago, Illinois on June 15th, 1950. 

He attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, graduating in 1975. He won the Marcus Heiman Award, which allowed him to study acting with Stella Adler in New York.

His acting career began in 1978 with a recurring role as Mark on the NBC television show "Cheers", and as Jeff Andrews in "Return of the Secaucus 7". He also appeared in "Joan of Arcadia", "The Bernie Mac Show", "NYPD Blue" and "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer". 

Columbo fans know him as Lydia's brother David in Uneasy Lies the Crown.

Mark married Jane Carr in 1987 and they later divorced in 1995. He remarried in 2009 to Melissa Chase. In 2009, he published a series of instructional books on American Kenpo Karate. A 5th Degree Black Belt, he presently teaches and writes at Arnott Kenpo in Pasadena, California.