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Nehemiah Persoff |
People/Where Are They
Now? |
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Actor |
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Barbra Streisand searched long and hard for
the right person to portray her father in "Yentl." Her choice in
casting character actor Nehemiah Persoff hit the mark perfectly. |
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Papa
in "Yentl"
March 1, 2001
The casting of Papa in "Yentl" was perhaps one of the most
important tasks for director Barbra Streisand. After all, Barbra would
ultimately dedicate the picture to her own father, and "Yentl" provided her
with a chance to depict a perfect father image in her film. She had one
opportunity to get it right.
Character actor
Nehemiah Persoff fulfilled Barbra's vision perfectly. His
on-screen persona as Yentl's Papa was captured brilliantly, and his
chemistry with Barbra successfully set the tone for the entire picture.
 Persoff was born in Jerusalem
in 1919 and established a substantial career in the U.S. as a noted actor of television,
stage and film. He first showed up on the show business scene in the
late 1940s and remained a steady working actor for more than half a
century.
After emigrating to the U.S.,
Persoff studied at The Actors Studio with Julie Harris, Cloris Leachman,
James Whitmore, Marlon Brando, Eli Wallach and Kim Hunter. Numerous television, film an stage roles
would follow.
In terms of motion pictures, Persoff's appearances were few, but he did have roles in two notable films.
In the 1954 classic "On the Waterfront," Persoff appeared (un-credited) as
a cab driver in a brief scene with Marlon Brando. In 1959, Persoff turned
in a comic performance as the gangster Little Bonaparte
opposite Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis in "Some Like It Hot."
Later in his career, Persoff voiced the role of another Papa,
this time as "Papa Mouskewitz" in the series of animated features, "An
American Tail."
On stage, Persoff has appeared in thirteen legitimate Broadway
productions along with numerous regional performances., including a
turn as Tevya in a touring production of "Fiddler on the Roof."
But it was on television where Persoff most frequently plied his craft.
His earlier TV credits included parts on "Giligan's Island," "Columbo," "Gunsmoke,"
"The Mod Squad," "Honey West" (opposite Ann Francis) and a
magnificent performance in a classic episode of "The
Twilight Zone." Persoff even worked with James Brolin on
three episodes of "Marcus Welby, M.D." between
1969 & 1975 and on one episode of Brolin's subsequent
series, "Hotel." By our unofficial count, Persoff
has over 250 film and television appearances to his credit.
 We're not sure which of Persoff's performances caught the eye of Barbra
Streisand, but the character actor who played mostly small
parts on television would forever be remembered for one bigger-than-life cinematic
performance. His role as Papa was Persoff's all important contribution to the film, "Yentl."
Persoff has retired from show
business and now devotes his full time to another artistic passion,
painting. Visit
Persoff's web site
to view some of his paintings and for information on how you can own one
of his originals. Persoff's web site also offers a marvelous look back
at his prolific career as an actor.
Persoff and his wife currently reside in
central California. |
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