Which Oscar winning actor played crazed drug smuggler Mel Profitt on the U.S. crime drama "Wiseguy"?

The Oscar winning actor who played crazed drug smuggler Mel Profitt on the U.S. crime drama "Wiseguy" was Kevin Spacey. No adversary was more sinister than Mel Profitt. He was the maniacal multi-billionaire in the second season of the series. For the actor Kevin Spacey, it was a breakout role. He mesmerized others on and off the show as a short-fused arms dealer.

Within this CBS series, which ran from 1987 - 1990, there was a storyline that involved the Steelgrave crime family. Wiseguy Vinnie Terranova, a Brooklyn native and deep cover operative for the FBI, made contact with a hit man named Roger Loccoco (William Russ). Vinnie soon discovered a bigger target than Roger. It was Roger's boss, the (mentally unstable) billionaire, international criminal mastermind, and arms dealer Mel Profitt. Mel's sister Susan (Joan Severance) was his key ally and true partner.

Mel had an addiction to prescription medication (often administered to him by Susan). This contributed to his unstable emotional state. He was also a believer in Malthusian economics (the earth's resources can only support a finite population). After much international intrigue involving Mel, Susan, and Loccoco (who turned out to be a CIA agent, under even deeper cover than Vinnie), Mel's entire organization is destroyed.

Because of its strong popularity, "Wiseguy" was originally hailed by some critics to be a dark drama that was often ahead of its time with plot situations and ethical considerations.