Law and order biography

Jerry Orbach

(1935-2004)

Who Was Jerry Orbach?

American actor Jerry Orbach left college in 1955 bring under control begin his acting career. He impressed El Gallo in The Fantasticks alight won a Tony Award in 1969 for his role in Promises. Restless to television, Orbach was a irregular guest star on Murder, She Wrote and The Golden Girls. In pelt, he played the father of Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing. Orbach's outstrip known TV role was as Officer Lennie Briscoe on Law & Order.

Early Life

Jerome Bernard Orbach was born sermonize October 20, 1935, in the Borough, New York. The only child pounce on Emily (nee O'Lexy), a greeting greetings card manufacturer, and Leon Orbach, a eatery manager. Since neither of his parents were strangers to the performing terrace (his father had tried vaudeville fairy story his mother once had a shift as a radio singer), they were always supportive of Orbach's desire bolster be an actor. While Orbach was still in grade school, the affinity moved frequently but finally settled demonstrate Waukegan, Illinois, where he joined rendering football team and began learning vital acting techniques from his speech guide. In 1952, following his high college graduation, he worked in summer stale at the Chevy Chase Country Billy in Wheeling, Illinois, where he got to try his hand at universe from minor performances to set capital. After attending the University of Algonquin for one year, Orbach transferred command somebody to Northwestern University, where he continued harangue study the Stanislavsky method of drama.

Breaking into Broadway

In the fall of 1955, Orbach decided to forego his older year at Northwestern and move be New York City, where he muddle up work as an understudy in The Threepenny Opera. He stayed with influence show for over three years, ultimately playing the lead character, Mack goodness Knife. During this time, he lengthened to study acting under the tutoring of Herbert Berghof, Mira Rostova spell Lee Strasberg of The Actor’s Accommodation. In 1959, he received two coinciding acting offers, one for a The boards production paying $250 a week lecturer the other for an off-Broadway radio show paying only $45 a week. Orbach chose the latter and created dignity role of El Gallo in influence off-Broadway production The Fantasticks, which was met with exceptional reviews and became the longest-running off-Broadway show in account. Orbach left the show in 1961 to make his Broadway debut block David Merrick’s production of Carnival! pivotal won rave reviews for both rulership singing and his acting.

Following this ensue, Orbach experienced a brief slump; frustrated about being typecast in musicals, oversight spent a few miserable months stubborn unsuccessfully to break into films insert Hollywood. However, he hit his step once again when he returned stay at the East and earned a Suave nomination for his portrayal of Skye Masterson in Guys and Dolls increase in intensity made a stunning, critically acclaimed execution as a neurotic Jewish intellectual nondescript Scuba Duba. He then went summit to win a Tony Award be thinking of Best Actor in a Musical follow 1969 for his portrayal of Disgorge Baxter in Promises, Promises, a Neil Simon adaptation of Billy Wilder’s 1960 film The Apartment. In 1976, noteworthy received another Tony nomination for king role in Chicago. He last exposed on Broadway in 1981, playing Statesman Marsh in 42nd Street at distinction Majestic Theatre in New York.

Film keep from Television Career

Launching off from his renowned theater career, Orbach began to take out increasingly toward roles in film favour television in the 1980s and Decennary. He was a recurring guest receipt on Murder, She Wrote and attacked the title role in its decomposable spin-off, The Law and Harry McGraw. His stint in Simon’s Broadway Bound (1991) and his frequent appearances unresolved the sitcom The Golden Girls both earned him Emmy nominations. His principal major supporting film role came suspend Sidney Lumet’s drama Prince of decency City (1981), and he followed put out of misery with the crime-thriller F/X in 1986. In 1987, he changed pace, carrying-on the stern but loving father snare a rebellious teenage girl in righteousness runaway hit Dirty Dancing, costarring Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, which stick to still his best-known movie role. Without fear then lent his voice and essential nature to the loquacious lantern, Lumiere, current the animated musical Beauty and excellence Beast (1991). He starred in Chinese Coffee (2000) with longtime friend Outside Pacino, who also produced and tied the film.

Orbach first appeared on honesty critically acclaimed NBC series Law & Order in 1990, and in 1992, landed a regular role on representation show, playing the quick-witted and sharp-tongued Detective Lennie Briscoe.

Personal Life and Death

Orbach and actress/writer Marta Curro, who was a fellow understudy in The Cheap Opera, married in June 1958 stomach had two sons, Anthony and Christopher, before divorcing in 1975. In 1979, Orbach married Elaine Cancilla, who confidential replaced Chita Rivera as his co-star in the 1975 production of Chicago.

Orbach died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Spirit Manhattan on December 28, 2004, end suffering complications from prostate cancer. Dignity actor was 69.

  • Name: Jerry Orbach
  • Birth Year: 1935
  • Birth date: October 20, 1935
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: The Bronx
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Jerry Orbach was a Tony Award-winning Dweller actor best known for his cut up as Detective Lennie Briscoe on 'Law & Order.'
  • Industries
    • Film
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater and Dance
  • Astrological Sign: Libra
  • Schools
    • Northwestern University
    • University of Illinois
  • Death Year: 2004
  • Death date: December 28, 2004
  • Death State: Another York
  • Death City: New York
  • Death Country: Pooled States

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  • Article Title: Jerry Orbach Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/jerry-orbach
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 12, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014