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Nehemiah Persoff
Actor

Nehemiah Persoff

2 Aug 1919Born
5 Apr 2022Died
102Age at death
170Credits

Biography

Nehemiah Persoff was an American film and television actor. Persoff emigrated with his family from Palestine to the United States in 1929. He began to take an interest in acting in the 1940s, and after serving in the Army during World War II, he began to pursue his acting career in the New York Theater.

Read the full biography

In 1947, he was accepted into the Actor's Studio and eventually began appearing in films.

His film credits include: On the Waterfront, Some Like It Hot, Al Capone, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Voyage of the Damned, The Comancheros, Yentl (portraying Barbra Streisand's character's father), Twins and the American Tail (animated-film series) (voiced, "Papa Mousekewitz").

Persoff appeared in such television series as, Five Fingers ("The Moment of Truth"), The Big Valley ("Legend of a General", Parts I & II, episode), The Twilight Zone ("Judgment Night" episode), Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Heart of Gold" episode), The Untouchables, Naked City, The Legend of Jesse James, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O, Ellery Queen ("The Adventure of the Pharaoh's Curse" episode), Mission: Impossible (3 episodes), Adam-12 ("Vendetta" episode), Charlie's Angels, Hunter, Columbo, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Magnum, P.I., Law & Order and Chicago Hope.

In the mid-1980s, Persoff began to pursue painting, specializing in watercolour. This was at a time when health problems forced him to decrease his acting workload.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 170 credits.

  1. 2003Angels in AmericaSeries: Rabbi (uncredited) (1 episode)
  2. 20014 FacesFilm
  3. 1999An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night MonsterFilm: Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
  4. 1998An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan IslandFilm: Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
  5. 1994Chicago HopeSeries: Rabbi Ben Taubler (1 episode)
  6. 1991An American Tail: Fievel Goes WestFilm: Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
  7. 1990Law & OrderSeries: David Steinmetz (1 episode)
  8. 1989Doogie Howser, M.D.Series: Max Wernick (1 episode)
  9. 1988TwinsFilm: Mitchell Traven
  10. 1988The Last Temptation of ChristFilm: Rabbi
  11. 1987Star Trek: The Next GenerationSeries: Toff (1 episode)
  12. 1987J.J. StarbuckSeries (1 episode)
  13. 1986An American TailFilm: Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
  14. 1986L.A. LawSeries: Rabbi Isadore Glickman (1 episode)
  15. 1985MacGyverSeries: Sam Bolinski (1 episode)
  16. 1984Murder, She WroteSeries: Constantin Stavros (1 episode)
  17. 1984Highway to HeavenSeries (1 episode)
  18. 1984HunterSeries: Harold Goodman (1 episode)
  19. 1983YentlFilm: Rebbe Mendel
  20. 1983Scarecrow and Mrs. KingSeries (1 episode)
  21. 1982HotelSeries (1 episode)
  22. 1982American PlayhouseSeries: Marcus Hoff (1 episode)
  23. 1982O'Hara's WifeFilm: Dr. Fischer
  24. 1982St. HelensFilm: Mr. Ellison
  25. 1980Magnum, P.I.Series: Rabbi Asher Solomon (1 episode)
  26. 1980Turnover SmithFilm: Ashmed Amad
  27. 1980The Henderson MonsterFilm: Prof. Leo Tedeschi
  28. 1980F.D.R.: The Last YearFilm: Josef Stalin
  29. 1980CondominiumSeries: Conlaw (2 episodes)
  30. 1980B.A.D. CatsSeries (1 episode)
  31. 1979The French Atlantic AffairSeries: Col. Schreiner (3 episodes)
  32. 1979The Facts of LifeSeries (1 episode)
  33. 1979In Search of Historic JesusFilm: Herod Antipas
  34. 1979A Cry for JusticeFilm: Dr. Burke
  35. 1979The RebelsSeries: Baron Von Steuben (2 episodes)
  36. 1979SupertrainSeries: Max (1 episode)
  37. 1978Daniel in the Lions' DenFilm: Malimar
  38. 1978The WordSeries: Abbot Petropolous (4 episodes)
  39. 1978Vega$Series (1 episode)
  40. 1978Battlestar GalacticaSeries: Eastern Alliance Leader (1 episode)
  41. 1978A Double LifeFilm
  42. 1978Ziegfeld: The Man and His WomenFilm: Charles Frohman
  43. 1978Killing StoneFilm: Earl Stone
  44. 1978Fantasy IslandSeries: Horst Von Stern (1 episode)
  45. 1978The Making of a PresidentFilm
  46. 1977Logan's RunSeries: ASA (1 episode)
  47. 1977Deadly HarvestFilm: Mort Logan
  48. 1977HunterSeries: Sheik Farakbi (1 episode)
  49. 1977The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew MysteriesSeries: Vladimir (2 episodes)
  50. 1976Voyage of the DamnedFilm: Herr Hauser
  51. 1976Quincy, M.E.Series (1 episode)
  52. 1976Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy IncidentFilm: Rudenko
  53. 1976Charlie's AngelsSeries: Anton (1 episode)
  54. 1976Rich Man, Poor Man - Book IISeries: Charles Dietrich (1 episode)
  55. 1976McNaughton's DaughterSeries: Vinnie Laine (3 episodes)
  56. 1976The Bionic WomanSeries (1 episode)
  57. 1975Psychic KillerFilm: Doctor Gubner
  58. 1975EricFilm: Dr. Duchesnes
  59. 1975Wonder WomanSeries: Professor Moreno (1 episode)
  60. 1975Ellery QueenSeries (1 episode)
  61. 1975The Invisible ManSeries: Dr. Leon Barnard (1 episode)
  62. 1975Barney MillerSeries: Carl Simms, Yacov Berger (1 episode)
  63. 1975BarettaSeries (1 episode)
  64. 1974The Stranger WithinFilm: Dr. Edward Klein
  65. 1974The Sex SymbolFilm: Nick Fortis
  66. 1974Little House on the PrairieSeries: Mr. Olaf Lundstrom (1 episode)
  67. 1974The Six Million Dollar ManSeries: Major Popov (2 episodes)
  68. 1973Police StorySeries (1 episode)
  69. 1973Purple PlayhouseSeries: Dr. Van Helsing (1 episode)
  70. 1973DraculaFilm: Dr. Van Helsing
  71. 1972Cool MillionSeries: Karinakis (1 episode)
  72. 1972Lieutenant Schuster's WifeFilm: Champagne Joe Carroll
  73. 1972Lapin 360Film
  74. 1972The Streets of San FranciscoSeries (1 episode)
  75. 1972SearchSeries (1 episode)
  76. 1972Michael O'Hara the FourthFilm: Artie Moreno
  77. 1971McMillan & WifeSeries: Clementa Habib (1 episode)
  78. 1971The Chicago Teddy BearsSeries (1 episode)
  79. 1971ColumboSeries: Jesse Jerome (1 episode)
  80. 1971Red Sky at MorningFilm: Amadeo Montoya

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.