Telly Savalas Met Former Travel Agent 3rd Wife While Starring in 'Kojak' — She Stood by Him till His End

Telly Savalas rose to stardom later in life through the television show "Kojak" in 1973. He became an unlikely sex symbol which brought some marital challenges with it. But his third wife stood by him until his death.

In 1973, Telly Savalas rose to fame as a street-smart and handsome police detective, Theo Kojak, on the iconic television show "Kojak." Nine months after the television show premiered, Savalas cemented himself as an unlikely sex symbol.

Savalas continued to work as an actor even after "Kojak" ended, but his role on the show remained his most memorable. Even his famous catchphrase, "who loves ya, baby?" was his own, long before the television show started.

SAVALAS'S LIFE BEFORE STARDOM

Savalas was born in 1922 and grew up in Garden City, a New York suburb, with a sister and three brothers. His father was a Greek immigrant who gained and lost millions of dollars twice in his life.

Savalas served in the army during World War II for three years. He was honorably discharged for being disabled. Following his exit from the army, he obtained a BA degree and continued to study psychology at Columbia University.

He had six children with four different women, but everyone knew they had to get along, and it sounds improbable, but they did.

He then served as an executive in the State Department Information Service during Eisenhower's term as president. He was 37 years old when he began acting, first in theater and then soon after on "Kojak."

Early in his acting career, he often portrayed brutish characters. But when "Kojak" premiered, it transformed his image completely. He was able to channel more of his natural personality into the role, which contributed to his popularity with women.

AN EVENTFUL LOVE LIFE

Savalas' love life was as eventful as his career trajectory. Before becoming famous, he described himself as "Romeo inside a gorilla exterior." He shared relationships with an ever-changing array of women.

He fathered four children with three women. He had one child, Christina, with his first wife, Katherine. He then had two children, Penelope and Candace, with his second wife, Marilynn.

In 1980, Savalas was sued with a palimony suit by his long-term girlfriend, Sally. They were together for nine years, during which Savalas supported her and a daughter she shared with another man.

Sally claimed that Savalas agreed that he would support both herself and her daughter, but Savalas had earlier tried to evict her from his Bel-Air home. The outcome of the alimony suit was never made public.

He later had a son, Nicholas, with his girlfriend, Sally Adams. The family got together every Christmas. His daughter, Christina Kousakis, explained, "He had six children with four different women, but everyone knew they had to get along, and it sounds improbable, but they did."

Kousakis is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Pasadena, California. She specializes in individual, couples, and parenting issues. Her webpage reads, "together, we examine the contents of your life, sift through the problems, and determine which elements will be useful on your journey and which should be discarded."

SAVALAS' THIRD MARRIAGE AND YOUNGEST CHILDREN

Savalas met his third wife, Julie, in the bar of L.A.'s Sheraton Universal hotel. She was 20 years old, and he was 30 years older than her. Julie recalled recognizing Savalas soon after his younger brother walked up to her with a message:

"I’m the brother of Telly Savalas. He would like to know if you’d have a drink with him."

She was immediately attracted to him, “he had such an aura of power about him, such charisma,” she said. They got married in 1984. He told her, "My glue is you, baby, and I'm not a poet." They had two children together, Christian and Ariana.

"Every day, he brings home a surprise—a book, gum, balloons," said Julie. Savalas was a doting father despite his several flings. He was lenient with them and brought them along to New York when he had to be on the "Kojak" set.

"The challenge now more than ever is to live long enough to raise them," he said. He kept his family close; he lived with his mother until her death in 1988.

Savalas' younger brother, George, is even featured on "Kojak" as Detective Stavros. His daughter, Candace, played a supporting role as a secretary on the show. One of his other daughters, Ariana, followed in her father's artistic footsteps.

In 1994, Savalas succumbed to prostate cancer. He was surrounded by his family as he died in his sleep at the Sheraton-Universal Hotel.

She studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She later gained fame as one of the founding members of "Postmodern Jukebox," a band that remade pop music hits into different vintage genres.

Ariana and the "Postmodern Jukebox" band traveled the world and performed at renowned venues such as the "Radio City Music Hall," "The Greek Theater," and the "O2" in London.

In early 2020 Ariana released her first solo album, "The Dead Dance." The album is described as avant-garde and alternative, reminiscent of the pop stars in the days of Annie Lennox and David Bowie.

SAVALAS DIES OF PROSTATE CANCER

In 1994, Savalas succumbed to prostate cancer. He was surrounded by his family as he died in his sleep at the Sheraton-Universal Hotel. He had checked out of the hospital days earlier to spend his last few days with his family.

Many of his friends didn't know he was seriously ill until shortly before he died. His spokesman and friend, Mike Mamakos, said, "He was a wonderful, kind, benevolent, and generous man." He also added:

"I’ve been his publicist for 25 years and a friend for 30, and he only told me three weeks ago that he was sick, he didn’t want to burden his friends."

Close friends remembered his good-humored nature when an old lady asked for his autograph during a critical point in a blackjack game in Las Vegas. He happily gave her the autograph but lost hundreds of dollars.

Film producer Howard W. Koch said, "he was an outgoing, sweet, wonderful guy, and he was loved." After "Kojak’s" run ended, Savalas continued to act in films and television. In 1983 he got a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame.