Actor Frank Vallelonga Jr. dies as a man accused of hiding a corpse

Green Book actor Frank Vallelonga has died aged 60 (Photo: Getty Images)

Actor Frank Vallelonga Jr. has died at the age of 60 and a man has been charged with concealing a corpse.

The star was best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film Green Book, based on the true story of a famous black pianist and his bodyguard as they tour America’s Deep South amid segregation in the 1960s.

In the film — which won three Academy Awards upon its release in 2019 — Vallelonga played his real-life uncle, Rudy Vallelonga.

It has now been confirmed that the 60-year-old actor’s body was found outside a building in New York’s Bronx borough earlier this week.

His manager, Melissa Prophet, issued a brief statement saying she was “unfortunately able to confirm that this is true.”

The NYPD said the investigation is “still ongoing” after they were alerted to an “unconscious man” at 3:50 a.m. Monday morning and discovered the actor “unconscious and unresponsive on the ground at the location.”

The middle actor was best known for his role in the critically acclaimed true-life film Green Book (Picture: Getty Images for AFI)

A cause of death has not been released, but police have arrested a 35-year-old man, Steven Smith, who is charged with hiding a human corpse.

That is what a spokesperson says to the New York Post newspaper that Smith was reportedly seen on surveillance video dumping the body from a car outside a sheet metal fabrication plant.

He allegedly confessed to moving the body while being questioned on another case currently under investigation.

However, Smith reportedly denied any involvement in the actor’s death, apparently insisting he had never met him before and that he was “already dead.”

Vallelonga’s body apparently showed no signs of obvious trauma and the coroner is working to determine the cause of death.

Sources apparently told the outlet that preliminary findings indicated an overdose.

At the time of his death, Vallelonga was said to be working on a new film called That’s Amore with his brother Nick Vallelonga – who also starred in Green Book and co-wrote and produced the film.’

The actor has also appeared in TV series such as The Sopranos and The Neighbourhood.

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