August 2 Actor #6. and L.A. Law. Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff immigrated with his family to America in 1929. Nehemiah Persoff is 102 years old in 2022. Mr. Persoff as the real-life mobster Jake Guzik in a 1962 episode of the TV series The Untouchables. He portrayed the gangster Waxey Gordon in another episode. I do hope it was worth the effort.. Nehemiah Persoff Height and Physical Info. Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff emigrated with his family to America in 1929.Following schooling at the Hebrew Technical Institute of New York, he found a job as a subway electrician doing signal maintenance until an interest in the theater altered the direction of his life.He joined amateur groups and subsequently won a scholarship to the Dramatic Workshop in New York. While acting in Hollywood, Mr. Persoff kept his hand in live theater. He currently lives in Cambria, California. Arriving in New York in 1929, at the start of the Great Depression, Persoff and his parents soon discovered that, contrary to mythology, the streets of America were not paved with gold. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 14 August. Persoff was born in Jerusalem, British mandate Palestine on 2 August 1919. Update Soon. Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff immigrated with his family to America in 1929. The prolific character actor also portrayed Henry Fondas brother-in-law in Alfred Hitchcocks The Wrong Man (1956), Humphrey Bogarts partner inthe boxing business inThe Harder They Fall (1957), the ruthless chieftain Graile in Michael CurtizsThe Comancheros(1961),an eccentric physicist inThe Power(1968) and a poverty-stricken Jew trying to flee Hitler inVoyage of the Damned(1976). At the start of his career, he appeared in uncredited roles in the films The Naked City and His acting career was beginning to take off when, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he was drafted by the U.S. Army for a three-year engagement. I guess I was born an actor.. Nehemiah attended the Hebrew Technical Institute to study the electricians trade, and his first job was as a signal maintenance worker on the old IND subway line. He died on Tuesday in a rehabilitation center in San Luis Obispo, California. It was true that Persoff was a centenarian. Born 102 years ago in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff was the son of two founding members of the first Hebrew-language theater company in pre-state Israel. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. The rest of his family was not so fortunate, so when he came home for dinner, he acted out all the parts for an audience consisting of his parents and siblings. In his early years, he served in the U.S. Army and worked as an electrician for the New York. Almost 30 years ago, Persoff quit acting after suffering a minor stroke and found it almost impossible to stand on his feet for any length of time. Everything in life has taken on a completely different look. Persoffs final push to change his lifestyle was when he spent a great amount of time, effort and money to put on a one-man show in San Diego. Dan Deckel Persoff (b. He sought work in stock plays and became an intern of Stella Adler and, as a result, a strong exponent of the Actor's Studio. He was 102. Wind at My Back The Fever. Persoff defines himself as a character actor, meaning that his role was generally to act as a foil to the (usually heroic) lead actor. 5/18/55), New York City. On stage, the actor has to project vocally so he can be heard in the last seats of the balcony. Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff emigrated with his family to America in 1929. Below we countdown to Nehemiah Persoff upcoming birthday. While there, he also met his future wife, Thia, whom he credited with keeping my feet on the ground. She died earlier this spring. By Benjamin Ivry April 7, 2022. 10/1/30) are: Jeffrey Jonathan Persoff (b. After an extensive make-up job, but not a single line of dialogue, Persoff walked on the stage. The late actor came to the United States with his family in 1929 and, after showing off his acting chops during his bar mitzvah, spent many summers working in theater before breaking into the film and television industry. Renowned TV and film actor Nehemiah Persoff, known for "The Twilight Zone," "Gunsmoke," and more, is dead at 102 years old. Nehemiah Persoff, a charter member of the Actors Studio who appeared in dozens of notable films and TV shows, from Some Like It Hot and On the Waterfront to The Twilight Zone and The. Kazan began to speak and told us his aim was to create a group of actors who work as he does, who speak his language, and that the people assembled in this room were the cream of the talent available. When I was onstage I felt at home, as if I belonged there, he said. Nehemiah Persoff Family Background & Career. Mr. Persoff, a native of Jerusalem who emigrated to the United States when he was 9, was in real life an amiable father of four who was married to the same woman for seven decades, and who in retirement became an accomplished painter. Dan Deckel Persoff (b. scene with Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger in the classic On the Waterfront (1954). A family friend confirmed the screen icon's passing. Persoff has popped up with guest roles in countless iconic TV shows like The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mission: Impossible and Gunsmoke. He has also voiced Papa Mouskewitz, the patriarch of beloved cartoon mouse immigrant Fievel, across the American Tail franchise, spanning four films and multiple video games. Nehemiah Persoff - Now Persoff hasn't acted in anything since his final film role in 1999's 4 Faces . That same year he played another gangster, the small role of Little Bonaparte, in Some Like It Hot (1959).He was a durable performer during TV's "Golden Age" (Gunsmoke (1955), The Twilight Zone (1959)) and well beyond (Chicago Hope (1994), Law & Order (1990)), playing hundreds of intense, volatile and dominating characters.In later years, his characters grew a bit softer as Barbra Streisand's Jewish father in Yentl (1983) and the voice of Papa Mousekewitz in the An American Tail (1986) will attest. When Persoff was 10, his family left Israel and moved to New York, all but shattering the boy. On the Waterfront. He rented a 200-seat theater, but on opening night only 11 seats were filled. His most prominent roles included three tenderly caring parents, but he was most associated with the dapper gangsters he portrayed in the movies and on television. Currently, Nehemiah Persoff is 103 years, 6 months and 23 days old. His zodiac sign is Leo. Born In 1919. It was the start of the Depression, and the family lived in a cold-water flat in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, though they eventually moved to the Bronx. Persoff defines himself as a character actor, meaning that his role was generally to act as a foil to the (usually heroic) lead actor. After six years he brought over his wife, Puah (Holman) Persoff, a homemaker, and his three sons and two daughters. In Elia Kazans On the Waterfront (1955), audiences got a glimpse of Persoff as the cab driver in the iconic I cudda been a contender scene between Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger. Danny DeVito. | His father, Shmuel, a silversmith, jeweler and art teacher, decided that his prospects would improve in America and emigrated on his own. Mr. Persoff was usually cast in small supporting parts, but he often turned them into gems of characterization. After serving in the United States Army during World War II, he worked as a subway electrician, maintaining signals while he began to pursue his acting career in the New York Theater. She said, Lets read,' he recalled in a 2008 interview forFilmsof the Golden Age. His father, a silversmith and painter, brought the family to the U.S. in 1929, and Persoff served in the U.S. Army and worked as an electrician for the New York subway system. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. For decades Mr. Persoff was one of most recognizable faces on television, by face if not by name; he was seen on hundreds of shows, beginning in the late 1940s. Persoffs final push to change his lifestyle was when he spent a great amount of time, effort and money to put on a one-man show in San Diego. ( divorced). Streisand, 79, shared a tribute on Twitter . he is one of famous Actor with the age 101 years old group. Jan 5, 2023 20:16:02 GMT -5. This was heady stuff for a nearly starving young actor., Persoff appeared for the first time on Broadway in 1947s Galileo, starring Charles Laughton, and a few months later returned to the New York stage forSundown Beach, directed by Kazan. Persoff is still alive as of mid-January 2022. Actor. Nehemiah Persoff, an actor who went from the uncredited role of a cab driver in On The Waterfront's iconic "coulda been a contender" scene to become one of the busiest character actors in television and film . It is in Hebrew , Nemyh, "Yah comforts". 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Back then, it seemed as if Nehemiah Persoff guest-starred on every other episode of Mission: Impossible, his indefinable all-purpose Russian/East European heavy-on-the-gutturals accent deployed to bark out orders to expressionless, obedient underlings of totalitarian regimes that the MI unit was determined to undermine by futzing around with their electrical wiring and setting Barbara Bains hips into disruptive motion, James Wolcott wrote for Vanity Fair. Long bombarded with Zionism, he said he felt that his true mission in life was to help create a Jewish state. Nehemiah Persoff, a ubiquitous character actor whose gravelly voice and knack for conveying an air of menace magnified his portrayals of a bevy of sinister types, most notably a half-dozen. The audience, recognizing the actor as Marx, burst into a 10-minute long ovation. He was born in Jerusalem, Palestine Mandate. In addition to his grandson, Mr. Persoff is survived by three sons, Jeffrey, Dan and Perry; a daughter, Dahlia; and four granddaughters. He left behind the only friends he knew. His body of work on television also was deep, with appearances inSuspense,Alfred Hitchcock Presents,Route 66,Burkes Law,The Big Valley,The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West, Mannix, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-0, Barney Miller,Star Trek: The Next Generation, Columbo, Doogie Howser, M.D. Some of his more legendary TV roles during that time included on The Untouchables, The Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Marcus Welby, M.D., Baretta, The Six Million Dollar Man, Little House on the Prairie, Hawaii Five-0 and Star Trek: The Next Generation., Not just a star on the small screen, the prolific dramatist appeared in a slew of hit films as well, including Humphrey Bogarts final movie roleThe Harder They Fall(1956), Some Like It Hot, The Greatest Story Ever Told and Yentl, in which he portrayed Mendel, the father of Barbra Streisands titular character. His wife is Thia Persov (22 August1951 - present)( 4 children), Norma Newton (5 December1945 - ?) From 1949-59, Persoff was in 11 Broadway plays, includingPeter Panwith Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff,Peer Gynt with Garfield, andTiger at the Gateswith Michael Redgrave. His first bit part was in the 1948 film noir Naked City, but it was another small part that brought him to widespread attention: He was the silent cabdriver in the memorable taxi scene in On the Waterfront (1954). I am still unhappy that I didnt go., View From My Window, an original painting by Nehemiah Persoff, was painted by the actor in 2016, when he was 97. Nehemiah Persoff was born in Jerusalem, Israel on August 2, 1919. He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and plays in a career spanning over 50 years, beginning after World War II. While there, he also met his future wife, Thia, whom he credited with keeping my feet on the ground. She died earlier this spring. Many fans have paid tribute to Persoff on social media. LOS ANGELES ( JTA) When actor, painter and writer Nehemiah Persoff, at times dubbed "the last survivor of Hollywood's golden age," was a 3-year old growing up in Jerusalem, he fell in love. "RIP Nehemiah Persoff. But now [since painting] I see the light dancing on the trees, the light of the water and the rocks. Photo: Alamy Stock Photo. I felt [it] needed a lift, he said, so I added, Barbra, for almost 20 years, youve been like a real daughter to me you dont call, you dont write., In Billy Wilders Some Like It Hot (1959), Persoff stood tall as Little Bonaparte, a gangster chairing a mob meeting disguised as a Friends of Italian Opera Lovers convention. Movie Actors. 157. Nehemiah Persoff (2 August 1919 - 5 April 2022) was an American centenarian, actor, and painter. . Richard Dean Anderson, Dana Elcar, Nehemiah Persoff, Barbara Stock, Gretchen Wyler, Garry Chalk, John Novak, Barry Mickelson, Ron Halder, Darcia Carnie Pete Thornton Nehemiah Persoff Having caught the acting bug, Persoff through the intervention of a girlfriend landed a scholarship at the New Theatre acting school. How cool! Persoff's son Dan confirmed his father's death to The Hollywood Reporter, while a family friend confirmed the news to Deadline. Short, dark, chunky-framed and with a distinct talent for dialects, Persoff became known primarily for his ethnic villainy, usually playing authoritative Eastern Europeans. Known for his roles in such classic films as Some Like It Hot (as "Little Bonaparte") and Yentl (as Rebbe Mendel), this 20th-century screen actor also appeared in episodes of television series such as Route 66, Five Fingers, and Mission: Impossible. When actor, painter and writer Nehemiah Persoff, at times dubbed the last survivor of Hollywoods golden age, was a 3 year old growing up in Jerusalem, he fell in love with his kindergarten teacher. After moving to Cambria, he became acquainted with a group of painters and has shown considerable talent and has found peace in his new art form. Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan are reviving it. How Old - Age: 103. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. At this point, he has completed some 250 watercolors, which have drawn considerable praise and buyers. Nehemiah Persoff (born August 2, 1919) was a former American film and television character actor. Barbra Streisand is mourning the death of her former costar Nehemiah Persoff . ( divorced) to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and . He was awarded the 1975 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Performance in a Supporting Role for "The Dybbuk" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. He sought work in stock plays and became an intern of Stella Adler and, as a result, a strong exponent of the Actor's Studio. In 1947, he was accepted into the Actors Studio and . 5/18/55), New York City. Hub is smitten with Alice; Del is partner in a new bus line; the boy's basketball team is challenged to an exhibition game. 10/1/30) are: Jeffrey Jonathan Persoff (b. Adding up the ages of questioner and responder yielded a total of almost two centuries, matching the longevity of some of their Biblical ancestors. Indeed, Persoff portrayed many criminals during his six-decade career, including Johnny Torrio, mentor to Rod Steigers gangster boss in Capone (1959), and Jake Greasy Thumb Guzik, causing trouble on the 1959-63 ABC drama The Untouchables. The film actor must rely on his face, on his eyes mainly, (on his thoughts) to communicate with the audience. Nehemiah Persoff was a prolific character actor whose many memorable roles included Rebbe Mendel, the father of Barbra Streisand's character in "Yentl.". After moving to Cambria, he became acquainted with a group of painters and has shown considerable talent and has found peace in his new art form. Perry Erez Persoff (b. Publicity Listings (He would also act in six episodes of the ABC series based on the film.). Discovered by Charles Laughton and cast in his production of "Galileo" in 1947, Persoff made his film debut a year later with an uncredited bit in The Naked City (1948). At this point, he has completed some 250 watercolors, which have drawn considerable praise and buyers. Nehemiah Persoff. 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