Appeared in both the first ("The New Man") and last ("Basher Malone") episodes of "Tales from the Darkside".
Attended Burbank High School in Burbank, California. Graduated in the class of 1949. Debbie Reynolds also attended Burbank High School, class of 1950.
During his struggling actor days, he worked for various temporary employment agencies between acting gigs, including the Kelly Corporation. When the big, imposing Tayback showed up for work at a bank one morning with "Hi. I'm your Kelly Girl bank teller," no one was about to argue the point.
His son Christopher Tayback graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1985 and Harvard Law School in 1989. He was a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County from 1989-1991, then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California, Criminal Division. He is currently (2010) a trial lawyer with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP in Los Angeles.
Of Syrian Arabic descent.
One son
Probably best remembered as diner owner Mel Sharples in "Alice" (1976).
Served in the U.S. Navy before starting as an actor at the age of 25.
Tayback had a listed number in the phone book. When his local phone company decided to pay tribute to his listed number by putting him on the cover, he got so many phone calls he had to change it to unlisted.
Winner of two Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy nomination for his part of Mel in the TV series 'Alice' (1976-85).
With fellow actors Richard Chamberlain and Sally Kellerman, he founded the theatre group Company of Angels in Los Angeles.