The  great actor Robert Prosky, who died today in Washington DC, worked frequently and with distinction.  His TV work was probably most widely known.

But for me, there will always be only one Shelley “The Machine” Levene in David Mamet’s  “Glengarry Glen Ross.”

Prosky was the first to play the role on Broadway and, if you saw him,   you may — like me — have remained permanently  haunted  by this quintessential  model of  unrepentant sleaze and desperation.

To this day, I’ll walk into a car dealership (always a nightmare in itself)  and — for a moment — imagine that  I see a room full of  Shelley “The Machine” Levenes.

This was a guy who loved his craft.

Thanks, Mr. Prosky.