Fyvush Finkel
Fyvush Finkel | |
|---|---|
 Finkel on the red carpet at the 1994 Emmys | |
| Born | Philip Finkel October 9, 1922 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 2016(aged 93) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1931–2016 |
| Television | Picket Fences Boston Public |
| Spouse |
Trudi Lieberman
(m.1947; died 2009) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Emmy Award(1994) |
Philip"Fyvush"Finkel(Yiddish:פֿײַוויש פֿינקעל;October 9, 1922 – August 14, 2016) was an American actor known as a star ofYiddish theaterand for his role as lawyer Douglas Wambaugh on the television seriesPicket Fences,for which he earned anEmmy Awardfor Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1994. He is also known for his portrayal of Harvey Lipschultz, a crotchety history teacher, on the television seriesBoston Public.
Early life[edit]
Philip Finkel was born at home inBrownsville, Brooklyn,New York City,the third of four sons of Jewishimmigrantparents, Mary ( "Miryam" ), a housewife fromMinsk,Belarus, and Harry ( "Cwi Hirsh" ) Finkel, a tailor fromWarsaw.[1][2]He adopted the stage name "Fyvush", a commonYiddishgiven name.[1]
Career[edit]
Finkel first appeared on the stage at age 9, and acted for almost 35 years in the thrivingYiddish theatersof theYiddish Theater DistrictofManhattan'sLower East Side,as well as performing as astandup comicin the Catskills'Borscht Belt.In 2008, he recalled:
I played child parts till I was 14, 15, then my voice changed. So I decided to learn a trade and went to a vocational high school in New York. I studied to be a furrier, but I never worked at it. As soon as I graduated high school, I went to a stock company in Pittsburgh, a Jewish theater, and I played there for 38 weeks, and that's where I actually learned my trade a little bit as an adult.[1]
He worked regularly until the ethnic venues began dying out in the early 1960s, then made hisBroadway theatredebut in the original 1964 production of themusicalFiddler on the Roof,joining the cast as Mordcha, the innkeeper, in 1965.[1][3]The production ran through July 2, 1972. Finkel then played Lazar Wolf, the butcher, in the limited run 1981 Broadway revival,[4]and eventually played the lead role of Tevye the milkman for years[1]in the national touring company.
Shortly afterward, Finkel succeededHy Anzellin the role of Mr. Mushnik in theOff-BroadwaymusicalLittle Shop of Horrors.[5]Then in 1988, Finkel's work as "Sam" in the New YorkShakespeareFestival revival of the Yiddish classicCafe Crownearned him anObie Award[6]and aDrama Desknomination.[7]
Finkel made his movie debut in the English-subtitled, Yiddish sketch-comedy revueMonticello, Here We Come(1950), then after small parts in an episode of thetelevision seriesKojakin 1977 and theminiseriesEvergreenin 1985, returned to film in the detective comedyOff Beat(1986). That same year saw a role oppositeRobin Williamsin aPBSAmerican Playhouseadaptation ofSaul Bellow's novelSeize the Day,and a role in the film adaptation ofNeil Simon's Broadway comedyBrighton Beach Memoirs.An appearance as a lawyer in directorSidney Lumet'sQ & A(1990) led TV producer-writerDavid E. Kelleyto cast Finkel as public defender Douglas Wambaugh in the television seriesPicket Fences(CBS,1992–1996). For the role, Finkel earned a 1994Emmy Award,announcing at the televised ceremonies that he had waited 51 years for that moment.[citation needed]
Following the end ofPicket Fences,Finkel had a regular role on the short-lived revival ofFantasy Island(ABC,1998) and then reteamed with writer-producer Kelley to play history teacher Harvey Lipschultz inBoston Public(Fox;2000–04).[citation needed]
Through the 1990s and 2000s, Finkel appeared in movies includingNixonandThe Crew,guested on TV series includingChicago Hope,Law & Order,Early Edition,andHollywood Squares,and provided voiceovers for episodes of theanimated seriesThe Simpsons( "Lisa's Sax") andAaahh!!! Real Monsters( "Ickis! You'll Be Snorched!" ) and the animated direct-to-video featureThe Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars.In 2009, he appeared in theCoen brothers' filmA Serious Man,and in 2013 had a guest appearance inBlue Bloods( "Men In Black" )
Finkel continued to appear onstage in productions such asFyvush Finkel: From Second Avenue to Broadway(1997)[8]and Classic Stage Company's historical dramaNew Jerusalem(2007), by playwrightDavid Ives.[9]
Personal life[edit]
Finkel was married to Trudi Lieberman from March 1947 until her death in 2009.[citation needed]They had two sons:Ian,a musical arranger and xylophonist, and Elliot, a concert pianist.[citation needed]
Finkel died in Manhattan on August 14, 2016, at the age of 93, as a result of heart problems.[2][10]
Awards[edit]
- American Comedy Award for his performance inPicket Fences(1993)
- Emmy AwardforOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series,Picket Fences(1993–94)
- Obie Awardfor his performance inCafe Crown(1988–89)
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Monticello, Here We Come | ||
| 1986 | Off Beat | Vendor | |
| 1986 | Seize the Day | Shomier | |
| 1986 | Brighton Beach Memoirs | Mr. Greenblat | |
| 1990 | Q&A | Preston Pearlstein | |
| 1991 | Mobsters | Tailor | |
| 1993 | The Pickle | Mr. Shacknoff | |
| 1993 | For Love or Money | Milton Glickman | |
| 1995 | Aaron's Magic Village | Narrator | English version, Voice |
| 1995 | Nixon | Murray Chotiner | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 1998 | The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars | Hearing Aid | Voice |
| 2000 | The Crew | Sol Lowenstein | |
| 2009 | A Serious Man | Traitl Groshkover | Nominated—Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast |
| 2013 | The Other Men in Black | Moshe | |
| 2015 | Deli Man | Himself | |
| 2016 | Game Day | Max | [11](final film role) |
Television[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abcdeLovece, Frank (January 6, 2008)."Fast Chat: Fyvush Finkel".Newsday(interview). Archived fromthe originalon March 8, 2008.RetrievedApril 11,2017.
- ^abBerger, Joseph (August 15, 2016)."Fyvush Finkel, Pillar of Yiddish Theater Who Crossed Into TV, Dies at 93".New York Times.p. D11.RetrievedSeptember 22,2016.
- ^"Internet Broadway Database:Fiddler on the RoofReplacements/Transfers ".Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 9,2008.
- ^Internet Broadway Database:Fiddler on the Roof(1981 revival)
- ^Internet Theatre Database:Little Shop of Horrors
- ^Infoplease: 1988–1989 Obie Awards
- ^Fyvush Finkelat theInternet Broadway Database
- ^Gates, Anita (December 30, 1997). "Theater Review: Legends of Yiddish Stage Brought to Life".The New York Times.
- ^Press release, "Tony Award-Winner Richard Easton to Star inNew Jerusalem",Marc Thibodeau, The Publicity Office, November 19, 2007
- ^"Fyvush Finkel Dies at 93".BroadwayWorld.August 14, 2016.RetrievedAugust 14,2016.
- ^Trav, S.D. (March 2, 2016)."Formerly of 'Fiddler,' Finkel, 93, far from final act".The Villager.RetrievedAugust 4,2016.
External links[edit]
- Fyvush FinkelatIMDb
- Fyvush Finkelat theInternet Broadway Database
- Fyvush Finkelat theInternet Off-Broadway Database
- Fyvush FinkelatFind a Grave
- Profile: Fyvush Finkel,Aveleyman; accessed September 22, 2016.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1922 births
- 2016 deaths
- Yiddish theatre performers
- American people of Polish-Jewish descent
- American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male stage actors
- Jewish American male actors
- Male actors from Brooklyn
- Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Vaudeville performers
- Obie Award recipients
- People from Brownsville, Brooklyn
- American male voice actors
- 21st-century American Jews
- Burials at Montefiore Cemetery