Raymond Castellani

{{Short description|American actor (1933–2021)}}

{{Notability|Bio|date=June 2020}}

Raymond Jay Castellani (February 13, 1933 – October 18, 2021) was an American character actor. As a former alcoholic, he founded the Frontline Foundation, which serves meals to the homeless on the Los Angeles' Skid Row.{{cite web | url=http://www.frontline-foundation.org/biograph.htm | title=Raymond Castellani bio | publisher=Frontline Foundation | access-date=November 28, 2011}}

Castellani was born in Albany, New York on February 13, 1933. In 1995, Castellani received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bill Clinton at a White House ceremony. During the early 1990s, President George H. W. Bush included Castellani among his "thousand points of light." He attended The Albany Academy, class of 1952. Upon graduation, he spent a semester at Springfield College. During this time he received a draft notice, and then served as a Marine during the Korean War.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Castellani acted in numerous plays, television shows, and films, including

Bonanza, Lawman, and Dragnet.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-21-me-881-story.html|title=He's at Home Battling Hunger on the Streets : Skid Row: Ray Castellani troubles some social-service officials with his curbside handouts.|last=ROTELLA|first=SEBASTIAN|date=1991-04-21|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-23}}

In New York, he appeared in plays such as The Curious Savage, Hat Full of Rain, The Rain Maker, What Makes Sammy Run, and Light Up the Sky.{{cite web | url=http://frontline-foundation.org/acting.htm | title=Raymond Castellani's acting career | publisher=Frontline Foundation | access-date=November 28, 2011}}

In 2008, Castellani released an autobiography titled, The End Was But A Beginning: A True Story.{{cite book | title=The End Was But A Beginning: A True Story | publisher=Dog Ear Publishing | author=Raymond J. Castellani | year=2008 | pages=140 | isbn=978-1-59858-805-7}}

He served over one million meals on the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. He died on October 18, 2021, at the age of 88.{{cite web |title=Raymond J. Castellani death notice |url=http://www.frontlinefoundation.com/index.html |website=Frontline Foundation |access-date=7 February 2022}}