R.I.P: Breaking Bad Fame Mark Margolis Dies At 83 (Details Inside)

In the well-liked Web series ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul,’ Mark Margolis played the shady, wheelchair-bound cartel don Hector Salamanca. His family announced his death on Friday. He was 83 years old. According to a statement, Margolis passed away on Thursday in a New York hospital after a brief illness, with his wife and son by his bedside.

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Bryan Cranston of ‘Breaking Bad’ fame led the tributes, saying on Instagram, "I am deeply heartbroken today to learn of a friend's demise. Mark Margolis was a really good actor and a lovely human being. Fun and engaging off the set, and (in the case of 'Breaking Bad' and 'Your Honor') intimidating and frightening on set."

Margolis was described as having a "powerful screen presence" by Bob Odenkirk, the lead of the spin-off series ‘Better Call Saul.’

A ‘Breaking Bad’ official social media account applauded "the immensely talented Mark Margolis, who -- with his eyes, a bell, and very few words -- turned Hector Salamanca into one of the most unforgettable characters in the history of television."

The father of the drug-trafficking Salamanca family, played by Margolis, is only able to speak on the show by striking a bell with his finger after being poisoned by a rival and suffering a stroke.

Margolis, a 1939 Philadelphia native who wanted to become an actor, relocated to New York. With supporting parts in films like ‘Scarface,’ ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,’ and ‘Black Swan,’ as well as the HBO series ‘Oz,’ he established a solid career as a character actor.

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He received an Emmy nomination in 2012 for ‘Breaking Bad.’ His 61-year-old wife Jacqueline, his only child Morgan, and their three grandsons all live on.