Person
Nehemiah Persoff
Jerusalem, Palestine Mandate
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 i…
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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. 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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2022
Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story
Movie Self - Interviewee
-
2012
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
Movie Self
-
2003
Angels in America
TV show Rabbi (uncredited)
-
2001
4 Faces
Movie
-
1999
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster
Movie Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
-
1998
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island
Movie Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
-
1994
Chicago Hope
TV show Rabbi Ben Taubler
-
1991
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
Movie Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
-
1990
Law & Order
TV show David Steinmetz
-
1989
Doogie Howser, M.D.
TV show Max Wernick
-
1988
Twins
Movie Mitchell Traven
-
1988
The Last Temptation of Christ
Movie Rabbi
-
1987
Star Trek: The Next Generation
TV show Toff
-
1987
J.J. Starbuck
TV show
-
1986
An American Tail
Movie Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
-
1986
L.A. Law
TV show Rabbi Isadore Glickman
More credits
-
1985
MacGyver
TV show Sam Bolinski
-
1984
Murder, She Wrote
TV show Constantin Stavros
-
1984
Highway to Heaven
TV show
-
1984
Hunter
TV show Harold Goodman
-
1983
Yentl
Movie Rebbe Mendel
-
1983
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
TV show
-
1982
Hotel
TV show
-
1982
American Playhouse
TV show Marcus Hoff
-
1982
St. Helens
Movie Mr. Ellison
-
1982
O'Hara's Wife
Movie Dr. Fischer
-
1980
Magnum, P.I.
TV show Rabbi Asher Solomon
-
1980
Turnover Smith
Movie Ashmed Amad
-
1980
The Henderson Monster
Movie Prof. Leo Tedeschi
-
1980
F.D.R.: The Last Year
Movie Josef Stalin
-
1980
Condominium
TV show Conlaw
-
1980
B.A.D. Cats
TV show
-
1979
The French Atlantic Affair
TV show Col. Schreiner
-
1979
The Facts of Life
TV show
-
1979
In Search of Historic Jesus
Movie Herod Antipas
-
1979
A Cry for Justice
Movie Dr. Burke
-
1979
The Rebels
TV show Baron Von Steuben
-
1979
Supertrain
TV show Max
-
1978
Daniel in the Lions' Den
Movie Malimar
-
1978
The Word
TV show Abbot Petropolous
