'Top Gun' Actor Frank Pesce Dead at 75

Frank Pesce, an actor whose career was defined by roles in "Top Gun," "Beverly Hills Cop," and "Miami Vice," has died at 75.

Pesce's girlfriend, Tammy Scher, confirmed the news to Deadline, explaining that the star had died on Feb. 6 in Burbank from dementia complications. 

Born in New York City on Dec. 8, 1946, Pesce was longtime friends with key industry players including Sylvester Stallone and Tony Danza, which helped elevate his career that had kicked off in the mid-1970s with roles in "Police Story" and "Kojak" as well as "Rocky" and "Paradise Alley."  

Pesce also appeared in "American Gigolo," "Young Doctors in Love" and "Vigilante" before he landed the role of a bar regular in "Flashdance." Although small, the part was enough to make people sit up and take notice.

What ensued were roles in the first two "Beverly Hills Cop" films, as well as "Top Gun," in which Pesce plays a bartender, and "Midnight Run," in which he plays a bail jumper. 

Leading the tributes to Pesce was David Permut, who produced the 1991 film "29th Street," which is based on the actor’s early life story. 

"To say Frank was one of a kind would be a gross understatement," he said, according to Deadline. "We shared our love and passion for film. He claimed to see more movies than Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert combined."

Scher described Pesce as "a force larger than life."

"I met Frank at a very low point in my life," she said in a statement to Variety. "He always said he saved me and he was right. I’d never met anyone like him. Frank was a force larger than life or any fictional character, always entertaining, intriguing and fascinating. Unafraid to approach anyone and immediately make an acquaintance.

"Celebrities flocked to be near him as he had an encyclopedia of knowledge about music and movies.” 

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