The Israeli-born performer, who died Tuesday from heart failure in his home of San Luis Obispo, California, at the age of 102, appeared in more than 200 stage and screen roles during his lifetime. If Im playing a bad guy, Ill give him some dignity and love., Nehemiah Persoff, Actor With a Familiar Face (and Voice), Dies at 102, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/06/arts/television/nehemiah-persoff-dead.html. Born in 1919 #7. He was born in Jerusalem, Palestine Mandate. 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. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. Nehemiah Persoff, Jewish character actor who played over 200 roles, dies at 102 Persoff was adept at portraying gangsters and other assorted no-goodniks in classics such as 'Some Like It Hot'. 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. Persoff spent most of his fortune visiting the neighborhood movie theater. He left behind the only friends he knew. Mr. Persoff was usually cast in small supporting parts, but he often turned them into gems of characterization. In 1951, Mr. Persoff married Thia Persov, a distant relation who had been a nurse with the Palmach, a Zionist military group, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. (Nehemiah Persoff/Photo illustration by Grace Yagel) (JTA) When actor, painter and writer Nehemiah Persoff, at times dubbed "the last survivor of Hollywood's golden age," was a three-year. In Barbra Streisands Yentl (1983), Mr. Persoff played the father of an Orthodox Jewish girl (Ms. Streisand) who poses as a boy so that she can study in a yeshiva. Nehemiah Persoff played Barbra . 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. Nehemiah Persoff - Now Persoff hasn't acted in anything since his final film role in 1999's 4 Faces . Persoff is not religious but, he declared, I am part of the whole Jewish experience Its great to be a Jew.. Nehemiah Persoff played Barbra Streisand's father in her 1983 film Yentl. (TV star Suzanne Somers appeared on the last page of the story.) If Im playing a good guy, Ill try to show that he has some bad in him, he once said. His final screen role to date was in HBOs 2003 adaptation of Angels in America, playing a rabbi. Persoff had passed away at a rehabilitation facility in San Luis Obispo, California, several years after he retired from acting due to a stroke and other health issues. In his early years, he served in the U.S. Army and worked as an electrician for the New York. According to his IMDb, he had begun acting in 1948 all the way through 2003. Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine [now Jerusalem, Israel], View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. here is his website. As he related in a memoir even as a three year old in Jerusalem, he realized that . Now, with some 200 stage, film and television credits on his resume, including roles in screen classics Some Like It Hot, Yentl, The Wrong Man and An American Tail, Persoff sits in an easy chair propping up his legs at his home in the California coastal community of Cambria, recalling the high and low points of a very full life. During World War II, he served in the United States Army. A Word on Westerns 131K subscribers 247K views 11 months ago REMEMBERING NEHEMIAH. 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. ( divorced). In his early years he posed for painters who worked out of studios in Manhattan's Union Square. 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. Jan 5, 2023 20:16:02 GMT -5. So, how much is Nehemiah Persoff worth at the age of 102 years old? Its a lot of fun and he looks to be a hoot himself. While there, he also met his future wife, Thia, whom he credited with keeping my feet on the ground. She died earlier this spring. Photo: Alamy Stock Photo. If I'm playing a bad guy, I'll give him some dignity and love. He demonstrated some acting skills during his bar mitzvah, he wrote in his 2021 autobiography, The Many Faces of Nehemiah. He celebrated his 100th birthday in 2019. Nehemiah Persoff, left, in 1956's "The Harder They Fall" with Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger. Nehemiah Persoff will celebrate 104rd birthday on a Wednesday 2nd of August 2023. Streisand, 79, shared a tribute on Twitter . Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine [now Jerusalem, Israel], Thia Persov (22 August1951 - present)( 4 children), Norma Newton (5 December1945 - ?) He died at age 102 in April 2022. Nehemiah Persoff. Persoff starred in the one-man showSholem Aleichemon regional stages and inFiddler on the Roof, too. In a formidable career that had him portraying everything from cab drivers to Joseph Stalin, standout film roles would include Leo in The Harder They Fall (1956) with Humphrey Bogart, Gene Conforti in Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956), Albert in This Angry Age (1957) and gangster Johnny Torrio in Al Capone (1959). After declining health and high blood pressure forced him to slow down, Persoff took up painting in 1985, studying sketching in Los Angeles. "I feel very fortunate in being able to continue my creative life, but this time without the tension, frustration and conflicts of an acting career.". It was a wonderful 60 years, he said, but at this time in my life, I love solving problems on the canvas; trying to find the beauty and essence of a subject. During his time on Broadway between 1949 and 1959, Persoff appeared in 11 shows including Galileo with Charles Laughton, Peter Pan with Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff, and Peer Gynt with John Garfield. At this point, he has completed some 250 watercolors, which have drawn considerable praise and buyers. The audience, recognizing the actor as Marx, burst into a 10-minute long ovation. | He was born in Jerusalem on Aug. 2, 1919. One was Leo, the crooked accountant, in Humphrey Bogarts last picture, The Harder They Fall (1956). 10/1/30) are: Jeffrey Jonathan Persoff (b. MikaelaArsenault. Perry Erez Persoff (b. Date of Birth. In addition to his grandson, Mr. Persoff is survived by three sons, Jeffrey, Dan and Perry; a daughter, Dahlia; and four granddaughters. Persoff spent most of his fortune visiting the neighborhood movie theater. All my life I promised myself that if Israel were to fight for its existence, I would be fighting alongside my brothers and sisters, he said. Free shipping for many products! Nehemiah Persoff is a Leo and was born in The Year of the Goat Life Nehemiah Persoff was born in Jerusalem on Saturday, August 2, 1919 (G.I. (His character bears a striking resemblance to Benito Mussolini and comes with a name that references Edward G. Robinson inLittle Caesar.). especially being that this version of the board turns 10 years old in late June. Listening to him, via Zoom, was a reporter, himself 96 years old. If John Wayne, as the hero, rides up and calmly pumps the other guy full of lead, the victim must be a really bad guy so that the audience will stay on the heros side that means Ive played a lot of gangsters in my life, observed Persoff. 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. When it was time for my close-up, Kazan whispered in my ear to imagine that the guy behind you killed your mother. When I saw the film, I was surprised to see how effective the close-up turned out.. Nehemiah Persoff was a prolific character actor whose many memorable roles included Rebbe Mendel, the father of Barbra Streisand's character in "Yentl.". In 1956, Persoff appeared in three different films, including Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man. According to his IMDb, he had begun acting in 1948 all the way through 2003. 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. Nehemiah Persoff, a prolific character actor known for his roles in "The Twilight Zone," "Yentl" and countless others, died Tuesday at 102. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? The audience, recognizing the actor as Marx, burst into a 10-minute long ovation. He appeared on such durable series of the 1950s, 60s and 70s as Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, Route 66, Gilligans Island, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O and Columbo, and he continued into the 1990s, with parts on Law & Order and Chicago Hope.. 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. Persoff is still alive as of mid-January 2022. Nehemiah Persoff, known for his roles in Some Like It Hot, Gunsmoke, An American Tail and various other movies and TV series, died at the age of 102, multiple outlets report. He rented a 200-seat theater, but on opening night only 11 seats were filled. His most prominent roles included three tenderly caring parents: a Jewish refugee escaping the Nazis and hoping to reunite with his daughter in Havana in the 1976 film Voyage of the Damned; the father of an Orthodox Jewish girl in early-20th-century Poland who poses as a boy so that she can study in a yeshiva, in Barbra Streisands Yentl (1983); and the voice of the father of Fievel Mousekewitz, the Russian Jewish mouse who emigrates to the United States to escape marauding cats, in the 1986 animated feature An American Tail and its sequels. . " Performer: Nehemiah Persoff [Ingrid's Father, The Troll King] PlayRevival. Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff emigrated with his family to America in 1929. Persoff immigrated . 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. It paid him $38 a week, more than his father earned. 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). How Old - Age: 103. Although he has more than 150 TV credits to his . The New York Times has reported that stage and screen actor Nehemiah Persoff has passed away at 102 years old. He was 102. 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 . His face appears briefly after one of film lores most famous conversations, when Marlon Brando tells Rod Steiger: I couldve had class, I couldve been a contender. 10/23/56), New York City. He was a student in the first "beginner's class" at New York City's now-legendary Actors Studio. When you are turned down as an actor, it's not only your talent that's in question, but your entire being: your looks, face, hair, the way you speak, your personality, ethnicity, everything about you. . Peter Pan (Apr 24, 1950 - Jan 27, 1951) Performer: Nehemiah Persoff [Cecco . Nehemiah Persoff Family Background & Career. In the TV series The Untouchables, he played two different real-life gangsters: Jake Guzik, the financial brains of Capones bootleg liquor gang, in a few episodes, and Waxey Gordon, New Yorks king of illicit beer, in a 1960 episode in which he gleefully aimed a Tommy gun into a competitors barrels. One of the only cast members of Gilligan's Island who is still alive today - 101-year-old Persoff currently lives in Cambria, California with his wife Thia. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Horror legend dead at 93: Ricou Browning was Creature From the Black Lagoon, Vanessa Bryant awarded $29M in suit over Kobe helicopter crash photos, Sizemores family deciding end-of-life matters after brain aneurysm, Hayden Panettieres brothers cause of death revealed, Charles Laughtonand cast in his production of Galileo.. Born in Jerusalem and immigrated to the United States in 1929, he is the second oldest living actor and the other Hollywood centenarian. Hollywood film veteran Walter Mirisch has died at 101 years old. The pilot featured. It took me quite some time to realize that acting was not living its an art, he noted. Born in Jerusalem, Israel #4. While acting in Hollywood, Mr. Persoff kept his hand in live theater. 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. He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and plays in a career spanning over 50 years, beginning after World War II. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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. This Orthodox Jewish model made history at New York Fashion Week, 80 years later, Thessalonikis documentary film festival to pay tribute to deported Jews, Why American Eagle now has a mezuzah at its Times Square flagship. Persoff's son. Persoff's son. Nehemiah Persoff, a character actor who appeared in dozens of films and television shows including "Some Like It Hot" and "Yentl," died Tuesday. After returning to America, he worked for the New York subway system while simultaneously training at the famous Actors Studio. 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. Born in Jerusalem, the thespian and his family moved to the US in 1929, eventually ending up in New York City. He made his official New York debut in a production of "The Emperor's New Clothes" in 1940.WWII interrupted his young career in 1942, when he was inducted into the United Sates Army, returning to the stage after his hitch was over in 1945, three years later. A family friend confirmed the screen icon's passing. You have entered an incorrect email address! Born in Israel #30. Courteney Cox tries viral 'Friends' filter and fails t Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Mike McCarthy shreds ex-Cowboys coordinator after firing, 'Jeopardy!' Actor Nehemiah Persoff, who started out as an uncredited, silent cab driver in the "On the Waterfront" "contender" scene and went on to become a prolific character actor, has died at age 102. "RIP Nehemiah Persoff. In his early career he worked under the name "Nick Perry" because he was afraid his Jewish name would alienate some prejudiced people. At 102 years old, Nehemiah Persoff height He was born on August 02, 1919 in Jerusalem. Yes, there were hardships, but there were also moments that were nothing short of heavenly Thanks for reading my book. Nehemiah Persoff is a character actor whose prolific career in film and television spanned 50 years, from the late 1940s to the end of the '90s. Nehemiah Persoff Popularity . Born in Jerusalem, Persoff emigrated with his family to the United States in 1929. Persoff has passed away at 102 years old in Jerusalem, he noted the thespian his! Were also moments that were nothing short of heavenly Thanks for reading my book, was a reporter, 96! 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