How Vic Tayback Became Mel on ‘Alice’ After a Life-Changing Injury

If you grew up watching TV during the late ’70s or early ’80s, there is a pretty good chance that you spent some of your evenings hanging out at Mel’s Diner. It was, of course, the setting for the CBS TV show Alice, and it was a place that felt more like a real roadside stop than a Hollywood set. Just like any real diner, the coffee smelled great, the chili might be a little questionable, and the guy behind the counter was usually yelling.

That feller was Mel Sharples, played by Vic Tayback. While the show was named after the waitress Alice Hyatt (Linda Lavin), one could argue that Mel was the glue that held the whole darn thing together. He was grumpy and loud, but viewers always knew that he had a heart of gold buried somewhere under that grease-stained apron.