Jerry orbach actor biography
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Jerry Orbach was born in the Bronx, New York, the only child of Leon Orbach, a former vaudevillian actor, was a German Jewish immigrant, who was born in Hamburg, Germany, and Emily (nee Olexy), a radio singer, was born in Pennsylvania to immigrant Polish-Lithuanian Roman Catholic parents, Alexander Olexy and Susanna (nee Klauba). The family moved frequently. He spent part of his childhood in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and eventually settled in Waukegan, Illinois, where he went to high school.
The constant moving made him the new kid on the block and forced him to become "a chameleon" to blend in his new settings. He studied drama at the University of Illinois and at Northwestern University. He then went to study acting in New York and got constant work in musicals. He slowly pushed to get acting roles in television and films after being overlooked due to his musical roots.
Orbach died at age 69 on December 28, , after a decade-long battle with prostate cancer. His widow, Elaine Cancilla Orbach died on April 1, , from pneumonia. Orbach and Cancilla both predeceased Orbach's mother, Emily Orbach, who died on July 28, , at the age of
BornOctober 20,
DiedDecember 28, (69)
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Jerry Orbach
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Who Was Jerry Orbach?
American actor Jerry Orbach left college in to begin his acting career. He played El Gallo in The Fantasticks and won a Tony Award in for his role in Promises. Moving to television, Orbach was a recurring guest star on Murder, She Wrote and The Golden Girls. In film, he played the father of Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing. Orbach's best known TV role was as Detective Lennie Briscoe on Law & Order.
Early Life
Jerome Bernard Orbach was born on October 20, , in the Bronx, New York. The only child of Emily (nee O'Lexy), a greeting card manufacturer, and Leon Orbach, a restaurant manager. Since neither of his parents were strangers to the performing arts (his father had tried vaudeville and his mother once had a stint as a radio singer), they were always supportive of Orbach's desire to be an actor. While Orbach was still in grade school, the family moved frequently but finally settled in Waukegan, Illinois, where he joined the football team and began learning basic acting techniques from his speech teacher. In , following his high school graduation, he worked in summer stock at the Chevy Chase Country Club in Wheeling, Illinois, where he got to try his hand at everything from minor performances to set building. After at
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Jerry Orbach
Born
October 20,
The Borough, New Royalty City, U.S.
Died
Manhattan, Pristine York Gen, U.S.
Cause precision death
Prostate cancer
Spouse(s)
(m. ; div. )
Elaine Cancilla(m. )
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