Joseph Wiseman

Joseph Wiseman
Wiseman in 1950
Born	(1918-05-15)May 15, 1918 Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Died	October 19, 2009(2009-10-19)(aged 91) Manhattan,New York City,U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1950–2001
Spouse(s)	Nell Kinard ​ ​ (m.1943;div.1964)​ Pearl Lang ​ ​ (m.1964; died 2009)​
Children	1

Joseph Wiseman(May 15, 1918 – October 19, 2009) was a Canadian-American theatre, film, and television actor who starred as thevillainJulius Noin the firstJames Bondfilm,Dr. No,in 1962. Wiseman was also known for his role as Manny Weisbord on the TV seriesCrime Storyand his career onBroadway.He was once called "the spookiest actor in the American theatre".

Early life

Wiseman was born inMontreal,Quebec,Canada, toJewishparents Louis and Pearl Wiseman and was raised inNew York City,United States.At age 16, he began performing in summer stock and became professional, which displeased his parents.

He was an alumnus ofJohn Adams High School,Queens,New York,and graduated June 1935,as was hisDr. Noco-star,Jack Lord.

Career

Wiseman made hisBroadwaydebut in 1938, playing a small part inRobert E. Sherwood'sAbe Lincoln in Illinois.Among the many productions he appeared in live theatre, were the title role inIn the Matter of J. Robert OppenheimeronBroadwayin 1968, and the role of Father Massieu in the original Broadway production ofJoan of Lorraine,theMaxwell Andersonplay which eventually became the filmJoan of Arc.

Wiseman appeared in several films in the 1950s. He made his first major film appearance in 1951'sDetective Story,where he recreated his performance from Broadway as an unstable small-time hood. Soon after, he playedMarlon Brando's archenemy inViva Zapata!(1952). Wiseman's role as the titularDr. Noin the first James Bond film byEon Productionswas a decision of producerHarry Saltzman,who cast Wiseman in the role in December 1961. It was Wiseman's performance inDetective Storythat gained him the part.(Later in his life, he viewed the film with disdain, and preferred to be remembered for his theater career.)

In 1967, he was cast as Billy Minsky's father inThe Night They Raided Minsky's;later he appeared oppositeSir Laurence OlivierinThe Betsy(1978). Wiseman had roles in a wide variety of other films:The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,Seize the Day,Bye Bye Braverman.In addition to being a regular on the seriesCrime Story,he had guest-starring and cameo roles in TV series includingThe Westerner;The Streets of San Francisco;The Untouchables;The Twilight Zone( "One More Pallbearer");Magnum, P.I.;Buck Rogers in the 25th Century;andNight Gallery.His last film was released in 1988, though he appeared in TV shows such asMacGyver,L.A. Law,andLaw & Orderafter that time. Wiseman's last appearance on television was the supporting role of Seymour Bergreen on a 1996 episode ofLaw & Ordertitled "Family Business". His last Broadway appearance was inJudgment at Nurembergin 2001.

Following the death ofCharles Grayin 2000, Wiseman was the last surviving mainvillainof the James Bond films thatSean Connerymade forUnited Artists.

Personal life and death

Wiseman married Nell Kinard on August 25, 1943, in New York, but they eventually divorced May 15, 1964, in Durham, NC.He was married to dancer, teacher, and choreographerPearl Langfrom 1964 until her death in February 2009.He had a daughter with Kinard, Martha Graham Wiseman.

Despite his many on-screen performances as the "heavy," Joseph Wiseman was aJewishscholar who travelled extensively, giving readings from Yiddish and Jewish literature. Wiseman died on October 19, 2009, at his home in Manhattan aged 91, having been in declining health for some time.

Filmography

• With These Hands(1950) as Mike Deleo
• Detective Story(1951) as Charley Gennini
• Viva Zapata!(1952) as Fernando Aguirre
• Les Misérables(1952) as Genflou
• Champ for a Day(1953) as Dominic Guido
• The Silver Chalice(1954) as Mijamin
• The Prodigal(1955) as Carmish
• Three Brave Men(1956) as Jim Barron
• The Garment Jungle(1957) as George Kovan
• The Unforgiven(1960) as Abe Kelsey
• The Happy Thieves(1961) as Jean Marie Calbert
• Dr. No(1962) asDr. Julius No
• Bye Bye Braverman(1968) as Felix Ottensteen
• The Counterfeit Killer(1968) as Rajeski
• The Night They Raided Minsky's(1968) as Louis Minsky
• Stiletto(1969) as Emilio Matteo
• The Mask of Sheba(1970) as Bondelok
• Lawman(1971) as Lucas
• The Valachi Papers(1972) as Salvatore Maranzano
• Pursuit(1972) as Dr. Nordmann
• The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz(1974) as Benjy Kravitz
• Journey into Fear(1975) as Col. Haki
• Murder at the World Series(1977) as Sam Druckman
• The Betsy(1978) as Jake Weinstein
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century(1979) as Draco
• Jaguar Lives!(1979) as Ben Ashir
• Masada(1981) as Jerahmeel
• Seize the Day(1986) as Dr. Adler

TV (Selected)

• The Untouchables:Episode: "The Antidote" (1961) as Russell Shield
• The Untouchables:Episode: "The Tommy Karpeles Story" (1961) as Albert Maris
• The Twilight Zone:Episode: "One More Pallbearer"(1962) as Paul Radin
• Wagon Train:Episode: "The Santiago Quesada Story" (1964) as Jim Case
• Men of the Dragon(1974 ABC Movie of the Week) as Balashev
• QB VII(1974, Mini-series) as Morris Cady
• Zalmen or the Madness of God (1975, Broadway Theatre Archive) as Rabbi
• Greatest American Hero:Episode: "Don't Mess Around with Jim" (1981) as James J. Beck
• Magnum, P.I.:Episode: "Birdman of Budapest" (1983) as Dr. Albert Tessa
• A-Team:Episode: "The Bells of St. Mary's" (1984) as Zeke Westerland
• The Equalizer:Episode: "The Confirmation Day" (1985) as Eddie Vanessi
• Crime Story(1988) as Manny Weisbord
• MacGyver:Episode: "The Battle of Tommy Giordano" (1989) as Joe Catano
• L.A. Law:Season 8, Episode 22, "Finish Line" (1994) as Isidore Schoen
• Law & Order:Season 7, Episode 8, "Family Business" (1996) as Seymour Bergreen (final appearance)

External links

• Joseph WisemanatIMDb
• Joseph Wisemanat theInternet Broadway Database
• Joseph Wisemanat theInternet Off-Broadway Database
• Joseph WisemanatAllMovie
• The O'Neill Theater Center