What was Tom Orbach’s cause of death?
Law & Order Orbach was first diagnosed with prostate carcinoma in 2009. The illness afflicted Orbach for more than a decade. Orbach was fighting the disease for almost his entire life. He decided to keep the news of his cancer diagnosis secret from the public. The news of his diagnosis didn’t arrive until just weeks before his death.
What happened to Jerry Orbach on law and Order SVU?
The Tragic Secret Jerry Orbach Keeps For a Decade on ‘Law & Order. Jerry Orbach In 2004, he died after a lengthy battle with prostate carcinoma. Broadway legend Law & Order The illness was a battle that he fought for much longer than many people realize. He fought the illness valiantly throughout his entire time on the show.
What happened to Mike Orbach from the office?
Following his departure from the series at the end of the 2003/04 season, Orbach underwent chemotherapy, but he ultimately succumbed to his cancer on December 28, 2004, at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York at age 69.
What is Jerry Orbach famous for?
Jerry Orbach. Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last bona fide leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a "versatile stage and film actor".
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Where did the Orbach family live?
Throughout his childhood, the Orbach family moved frequently, living in Mount Vernon, New York; Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke, and Scranton, Pennsylvania; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Waukegan, Illinois.
What was the name of the TV show that Orbach played?
He also portrayed gangsters in both the action-thriller F/X and the Woody Allen drama Crimes and Misdemeanors (the latter of which also featured his future Law & Order co-star Sam Waterston ). In 1985, Orbach became a regular guest star on Murder, She Wrote as private detective Harry McGraw, which led to him starring in the short-lived spin-off series The Law & Harry McGraw. In 1987, he was featured in the hit film Dirty Dancing as Dr. Jake Houseman, the father of Jennifer Grey 's character "Baby". He made further TV appearances on popular shows such as The Golden Girls (for which he received his first Emmy nomination ), Who's the Boss?, and Frasier (as a guest caller).
What was the first Broadway show that Orbach played?
Orbach would go on to become an accomplished Broadway and off-Broadway actor. His first major role was El Gallo in the original 1960 cast of the decades-running hit The Fantasticks, and Orbach became the first to perform the show's signature song and pop standard " Try To Remember ". He also starred in The Threepenny Opera; Carnival!, the musical version of the movie Lili (his Broadway debut); in a revival of Guys and Dolls (as Sky Masterson, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical); Promises, Promises (as Chuck Baxter, winning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical); the original productions of Chicago (as Billy Flynn, receiving another Tony Award nomination); 42nd Street; and a revival of The Cradle Will Rock. Orbach made occasional film and TV appearances into the 1970s and appeared as a celebrity panelist on both What's My Line? and Super Password .
How many seasons did Orbach play in Law and Order?
Orbach starred on Law & Order for 11-and-a-half season s, ultimately becoming the third longest-serving main cast member (behind S. Epatha Merkerson and Sam Waterston) in the show's 20-year-run history, as well as one of its most popular.
What movies did Orbach play in?
Later in his career, Orbach played supporting roles in films such as Prince of the City (1981), Dirty Dancing (1987), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), and Disney 's Beauty and the Beast (1991).
Where did Orbach's mother come from?
Orbach stated that his father was descended from Sephardic refugees from the Spanish Inquisition. His mother, a native of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was a Roman Catholic of Polish -Lithuanian descent, and Orbach was raised in her faith (a religious background later replicated in his character on Law & Order ).
Where was Leon Orbach born?
Orbach was born on October 20, 1935, in the Bronx, the only child of Emily Orbach (née Olexy), a greeting card manufacturer and radio singer, and Leon Orbach, a restaurant manager and vaudeville performer. His father was a Jewish emigrant from Hamburg, Germany. Orbach stated that his father was descended from Sephardic refugees from ...
What episode is Jerry Orbach on?
The brave actor’s last appearance on TV will be seen this Friday night on NBC in the second episode of the new “Law & Order” spinoff, “Trial by Jury.”.
Why did Orbach raise his voice?
That’s because the actor’s voice that day was particularly weak from ongoing cancer treatment , an NBC spokeswoman recently revealed.
What episode does Briscoe die in?
His death-and Briscoe’s-will be dealt with later on, in the fourth or fifth episode, according to executive producer Walon Green.
Legend in His Time
Orbach, who was NYPD Detective Lennie Briscoe before becoming a Broadway star, made a name for itself on Broadway. He was the son of a vaudeville performer and quickly rose to prominence in theater. He appeared in several films. The Fantasticks In 1960, he received Tony nominations every year for the next decade.
Tributes Pour In
Orbach received a Broadway dimming ceremony, one of the highest honors that the theater world can bestow upon an actor. For his death, Orbach received the Screen Actors Guild Award. Law & Order His wife accepted the 2005 award on his behalf. He was even honored by a street: A portion of 53rd Street in Manhattan was renamed.
Why did Jerry Orbach leave 'Law & Order' at the end of Season 14?
The gravity and depth that Jerry brought to the role made Briscoe the moral center of the show and set him apart from the other cops in the fictional precinct .
How long did Jerry Orbach play Lennie in Law and Order?
But after 12 years on Law & Order as world-weary detective Lennie Briscoe, Jerry Orbach shocked fans when he announced that he would be leaving the show at the end ...
Why did Jerry leave the show?
At the time, neither Jerry nor the show provided a reason for his departure, but fans soon found out that the actor had told the crew that he was starting a round of chemotherapy for his prostate cancer before leaving the show to play Briscoe in the spinoff series.
How old was Jerry in Law and Order?
Unfortunately, Jerry’s chemotherapy was unsuccessful and he died at the age of 69, after two appearances on Law & Order: Trial By Jury.
What season did Jerry leave Law and Order?
Although Law & Order and its most successful spinoff, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, are known for their revolving cast, many fans were shocked when Jerry announced that he would be leaving the show after Season 14, after more than a decade of being detective Lennie Briscoe.
Overview
Personal life
Orbach was married in 1958 to Marta Curro, with whom he had two sons, Anthony Nicholas and Christopher Benjamin. They divorced in 1975. Elder son Tony is a construction manager and an accomplished crossword puzzle constructor who has published more than 25 puzzles in The New York Times. Younger son Chris Orbach is an actor and a singer; he played Lennie Briscoe's nephew Ken Briscoe during the first season of Special Victims Unit.
Early life
Orbach was born on October 20, 1935, in the Bronx, the only child of Emily Orbach (née Olexy), a greeting card manufacturer and radio singer, and Leon Orbach, a restaurant manager and vaudeville performer. His father was a Jewish immigrant from Hamburg, Germany. Orbach stated that his father was descended from Sephardic Jewish refugees from the Spanish Inquisition. His mother, a native of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was a Roman Catholic of Polish-Lithuanian desc…
Career
Orbach would go on to become an accomplished Broadway and off-Broadway actor. His first major role was El Gallo in the original 1960 cast of the decades-running hit The Fantasticks, and Orbach became the first to perform the show's signature song and pop standard "Try To Remember". He also starred in The Threepenny Opera; Carnival!, the musical version of the movie Lili (his Broadwa…
Honors and legacy
In addition to his Tony Award and nominations, Jerry Orbach is also a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1999. In 2002, Orbach was named a "Living Landmark" by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, along with his Law & Order co-star Sam Waterston. Orbach quipped that the honor meant "that they can't tear me down."
Partial discography
• Jerry Orbach: Off Broadway (MGM Records, 1963).
Bibliography
• Remember How I Love You: Love Letters from an Extraordinary Marriage (Touchstone, 2009).
• Jerry Orbach, Prince of the City: His Way from the Fantasticks to Law & Order by John Anthony Gilvey, was published on May 1, 2011.