Reni Santoni

Veteran supporting actor Reni Santoni, best known for his role as Poppie on the series "Seinfeld," appeared consistently on television throughout his career while also putting in solid work in feature films. Santoni has spent the majority of his career relegated to supporting roles in a number of film and TV parts. He has appeared in various genres, from comedy films such as "Brewster's Millions" with Richard Pryor, to more dramatic work, such as the crime drama "Bad Boys." Santoni worked with many top-name stars in his career including Clint Eastwood on the gritty crime drama "Dirty Harry," Steve Martin in the comedy "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," and Sylvester Stallone in the action flick "Cobra." Santoni's most popular role, though, was on the long-running sitcom "Seinfeld" as the explosive, pro-life chef Poppie, who verbally sparred with leading man Jerry Seinfeld in hilarious fashion on multiple occasions. While Santoni's steadiest work came on television, he has appeared in such notable films as the high-school comedy "Can't Hardly Wait," and alongside shock jock Howard Stern in his biopic "Private Parts." Santoni has also worked as voice actor through his career, providing voices on the Michael J. Fox drama "Bright Lights, Big City" in 1988 and later on the "Doctor Dolittle" film series starring Eddie Murphy. Reni Santoni died on August 1, 2020 at the age of 81.