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Lee J. Cobb
Actor

Lee J. Cobb

8 Dec 1911Born
11 Feb 1976Died
64Age at death
100Credits

Biography

Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 — February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his performances in On the Waterfront (1954), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, 12 Angry Men (1957), and The Exorcist (1973). He also played the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan. On television, Cobb costarred in the first four seasons of the popular, long-running western series The Virginian. He typically played arrogant, intimidating, and abrasive characters, but often had roles as respectable figures such as judges.

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Born Leo Jacob in New York City, he grew up in The Bronx,  before studying at New York University and making his film debut in The Vanishing Shadow (1934).  Cobb performed in numerous theater productions and companies, including Group Theatre (New York) before serving in the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Force during World War II.  

Following the war, Cobb returned to film, television and theater before being accused of being a Communist in 1951 testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee by Larry Parks, himself a former Communist Party member. Cobb was called to testify before HUAC but refused to do so for two years until, with his career threatened by the blacklist, he relented in 1953 and gave testimony in which he named 20 people as former members of the Communist Party USA. Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses", on the 1954 film On the Waterfront, which is widely seen as an allegory and apologia for testifying.  His 1968 performance as King Lear achieved the longest run (72 performances) for the play in Broadway history.  One of his final film roles was that of police detective Lt. Kinderman in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist.

Cobb died of a heart attack in February 1976 in Woodland Hills, California, and was buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was survived by his second wife, Mary Hirsch, and daughter, also an accomplished actress, Julie Cobb.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 100 credits.

  1. 1978The Meanest Men in the WestFilm: Judge Henry Garth
  2. 1976Cross ShotFilm: Dante Ragusa
  3. 1976Origins of the MafiaSeries: Bartolomeo Gramignano (1 episode)
  4. 1976Nick the StingFilm: Robert Clark
  5. 1975Mark Shoots FirstFilm: Il commedator Benzi
  6. 1975That Lucky TouchFilm: Henry Steedman
  7. 1975Blood, Sweat and FearFilm: Benzi
  8. 1974The Balloon VendorFilm: Twenty Years
  9. 1974The Great Ice Rip-OffFilm: Willy Calso
  10. 1974Trapped Beneath the SeaFilm: Victor Bateman
  11. 1974Dr. MaxFilm: Maxwell Gordon
  12. 1973The ExorcistFilm: Lt. Bill Kinderman
  13. 1973The Great KidnappingFilm: Jovine
  14. 1973Double IndemnityFilm: Barton Keyes
  15. 1973The Man Who Loved Cat DancingFilm: Lapchance
  16. 1972The Bull of the WestFilm: Judge Garth
  17. 1972Heat of AngerFilm: Frank Galvin
  18. 1971LawmanFilm: Vincent Bronson
  19. 1971Macho CallahanFilm: Duffy
  20. 1970The Young LawyersSeries (24 episodes)
  21. 1970The Liberation of L.B. JonesFilm: Oman Hedgepath
  22. 1970McCloudSeries: Alexander Montello (1 episode)
  23. 1969Mackenna's GoldFilm: The Editor
  24. 1968Coogan's BluffFilm: Lt. McElroy
  25. 1968The Day of the OwlFilm: Don Mariano Arena
  26. 1968They Came to Rob Las VegasFilm: Steve Skorsky
  27. 1967In Like FlintFilm: Lloyd C. Cramden
  28. 1966Death of a SalesmanFilm: Willy Loman
  29. 1966Our Man FlintFilm: Cramden
  30. 1965The Final HourFilm: Judge Henry Garth
  31. 1964The Brazen BellFilm: Judge Henry Garth
  32. 1963Come Blow Your HornFilm: Harry R. Baker
  33. 1962The Devil's ChildrenFilm: Judge Henry Garth
  34. 1962How the West Was WonFilm: Marshal Lou Ramsey
  35. 1962The VirginianSeries: Richter Henry Garth, Ritcher Henry Garth (90 episodes)
  36. 1962The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseFilm: Julio Madariaga
  37. 1960ExodusFilm: Barak Ben Canaan
  38. 1959I, Don QuixoteFilm: Miguel de Cervantes / Don Quixote de la Mancha / Alonso Quijana
  39. 1959StartimeSeries: Director (1 episode)
  40. 1959The DuPont Show with June AllysonSeries: Captain Maximillian Gault (1 episode)
  41. 1959But Not for MeFilm: Jeremiah MacDonald
  42. 1959Green MansionsFilm: Nuflo
  43. 1959The TrapFilm: Victor Massonetti
  44. 1958Party GirlFilm: Rico Angelo
  45. 1958Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseSeries (1 episode)
  46. 1958Man of the WestFilm: Dock Tobin
  47. 1958Naked CitySeries: Paul Delito (1 episode)
  48. 1958The Brothers KaramazovFilm: Fyodor Karamazov
  49. 1957The Three Faces of EveFilm: Doctor Curtis Luther
  50. 1957Panic ButtonFilm: Al Bengsten
  51. 1957The Garment JungleFilm: Walter Mitchell
  52. 195712 Angry MenFilm: Juror 3
  53. 1956Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreSeries: Captain Andrew Watling, Drifter - Frank MacKinnon (1 episode)
  54. 1956Miami ExposéFilm: Lt. Barton 'Bart' Scott
  55. 1956The Man in the Gray Flannel SuitFilm: Judge Bernstein
  56. 1955GunsmokeSeries: Col. Josiah Johnson (1 episode)
  57. 1955The Left Hand of GodFilm: Mieh Yang
  58. 1955The Road to DenverFilm: Jim Donovan
  59. 1955The RacersFilm: Maglio
  60. 1954Day of TriumphFilm: Zadok
  61. 1954MedicSeries: Henry Fisher (1 episode)
  62. 1954On the WaterfrontFilm: Johnny Friendly
  63. 1954Gorilla at LargeFilm: Detective Sgt. Garrison
  64. 1954Yankee PashaFilm: Sultan
  65. 1953The Tall TexanFilm: Capt. Theodore Bess
  66. 1953General Electric TheaterSeries: Dominic Roma, Grayson Foxhall (1 episode)
  67. 1952The Ford Television TheatreSeries: Matt Erwin (1 episode)
  68. 1952The FighterFilm: Durango
  69. 1951The Family SecretFilm: Howard Clark
  70. 1951Tales of TomorrowSeries (1 episode)
  71. 1951SiroccoFilm: Col. Feroud
  72. 1950The Man Who Cheated HimselfFilm: Lt. Ed Cullen
  73. 1950Lux Video TheatreSeries: Emile Zola (1 episode)
  74. 1949Thieves' HighwayFilm: Mike Figlia
  75. 1949Lights OutSeries (1 episode)
  76. 1949The Phantom CreepsFilm: Road Crew Foreman (uncredited)
  77. 1948The Dark PastFilm: Dr. Andrew Collins
  78. 1948Studio OneSeries: Dr. Joseph Pearson (2 episodes)
  79. 1948The Luck of the IrishFilm: David C. Augur
  80. 1948The Miracle of the BellsFilm: Marcus Harris

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