Actor Ángel Salazar, who played Al Pacino’s soldier Chi Chi in the 1983 crime film Scarface, was filming a new spinoff flick in the days before he died.
The Cuban-American actor passed away at the age off 68, his rep announced on Sunday.
Director Eric Spade Rivas told TMZ Salazar had been in the process of filming ‘The Brooklyn Premiere’ at the time of his death.
He told the outlet and had seemed ‘fatigued’ during shooting in New Jersey back in April, but planned to film more scenes in Miami later this year.
The movie follows a Brooklyn film director’s midlife crisis as he sets out to make a Scarface parody to revive his career.
Actor Ángel Salazar, who played Al Pacino ‘s soldier Chi Chi in the 1983 crime film Scarface, was filming a new spinoff flick in the days before he died and is pictured here on set
Salazar was set to appear alongside Steven Bauer, who plays Manny Ribera in the original film.
Eric paid tribute to late star, saying he is one of the funniest people he has ever met.
A video from the movie’s official Instagram showed Salazar with cast and crew from the upcoming movie.
‘Sorry to have to even post this, but this is for Ángel who passed away,’ a statement read.
‘Everyone that knew you loved you and will remember all of the fun you made them have and everything you taught them every joke every story about [Scarface director] Di Palma I will miss it… at least we started Scarface two.’
While Salazar’s cause of death has not been released, he was dealing with heart problems.
Salazar played a criminal associate of Pacino’s drug kingpin Tony Montana in the original Scarface
The Cuban-American actor passed away at the age off 68, his rep announced on Sunday
His confidante and rep Ann Wingsong told TMZ that a friend checked on Salazar and found him lifeless in the bed.
Salazar played a criminal associate of Pacino’s drug kingpin Tony Montana in the motion picture, which also starred Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and F. Murray Abraham, as well as late actors Paul Shenar and Robert Loggia.
In the storyline of the movie, Chi Chi came to Montana’s aid after he was attacked with a chainsaw amid a drug deal gone sour.
Chi Chi was also seated next to Montana during a scene in which the crime boss was caught laundering money.
The Chi Chi character dies during the movie’s famous final showdown, as he was shot in the back amid an attack from a group of attackers from Scarface rival Alejandro Sosa.
He had appeared in movies such as 1982’s A Stranger Is Watching, 1980’s Where the Buffalo Roam, 1979’s Walk Proud and 1979’s Boulevard Nights prior to his career-defining role in the Brian De Palma motion picture.
Salazar pictured with Al Pacino in the hit film directed by Brian Di Palma
The spinoff film’s director say Salazar had seemed fatigued during filming back in April but that he planned to continue shooting in Miami later this year
Other prominent films Salazar was featured in included 1985’s Sylvester; 1990’s Maniac Cop 2; and 19
88’s Punchline with Tom Hanks; 1988’s Hot to Trot; and the 1993 movie Carlito’s Way, a reunion with both De Palma and Pacino.
He also made a number of appearances on TV shows such as On Our Own, The New $treetz Seriez, Jersey Mafia Chronicles and In Living Color.
Salazar also had a background in standup comedy, as he starred in multiple specials for HBO and appeared on the series Last Comic Standing.
According to iMDb, Salazar had 17 varied projects at various stages of production as of Sunday.
