Mark Margolis, who played 'Breaking Bad' villain, dies at 83

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Mark Margolis, who played Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, has died at age 83, his publicist announced Friday.

Henry Eshelman said the actor died Thursday.

Margolis's son, Morgan Margolis, CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment, and wife, Jacqueline, were with him at Mount Sinai Hospital when he died after a short illness.

Mark Margolis was Emmy-nominated in 2012 for his role on Breaking Bad as Salamanca crime family boss Hector. The character was confined to a wheelchair and could only communicate with a bell, but his associates still followed his every order.

Walter White (Bryan Cranston) eventually persuaded Hector to put a bomb in his wheelchair to assassinate rival Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Though killed in the same explosion, Margolis reprised his role in the prequel series Better Call Saul.

Margolis got to play Hector before the had the stroke that confined him to the wheelchair. Saul showed Hector having the stroke and emerging in the form Breaking Bad fans recognized.

Margolis is survived by a brother and sister, and three grandsons. The family plans a private funeral and requests donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in lieu of flowers.

A stage actor since his training at Temple University and The Actors Studio, Margolis appeared in films such as Scarface, The Bedroom Window, Pi and Requiem for a Dream. Other TV roles include Prodigal Son, Snowpiercer, The Blacklist and Your Honor with Cranston.