Celebrity Biographies
chick vennera
He stood out as a farmer, dedicated to beans, in “A place called Milagro”, and as a pimp who danced on the hood of parked cars in “Finally, it’s Friday!”. Actor Chick Vennera passed away on July 7, 2021, at the age of 74, at his residence in Burbank, Los Angeles, after a long battle with lung cancer.
Born on March 27, 1947 in Herkimer, New York, Francis Vennera – his real name – learned to play numerous instruments, and studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. After serving in the US Army, he spent two years as a dancer in the show “Disney on Ice” on a long tour across the country. Chick Vennera then appeared on Broadway in the show “Grease.”
In 1975, Chick Vennera made her film debut with a small role in the Lucas Tanner series, followed by Baretta . In cinema he appeared for the first time in Finally, it’s Friday! , where he gave life to Marv Gomez, one of the clients of the nightclub The Zoo, in Los Angeles, dressed entirely in leather. He followed Yankees , where he played a sergeant during World War II, opposite Richard Gere .
Throughout his extensive career, he never lacked for television work, for example he was Enrique Mas, Rose’s boss in the legendary The Golden Girls , and he worked as a voice actor in numerous animated series. Robert Redford recruited Chick Vennera to play local Joe Mondragón, a Chicano laborer who illegally irrigates his plot using water destined for a large development project, in A Place Called Miracle .
During his last active years, Chick Vennera became a professor of acting, at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, and other institutions. He is survived by Susanne, who had been his wife for forty years, although the marriage was childless.