TV-MOVIES
Hollywood Just Lost A 102-Year Old Legend You've Probably Never Heard Of
By JIM ROWLEY
Nehemiah Persoff, who portrayed some of the most memorable characters in Hollywood history passed away on April 6, 2022 at the age of 102. Persoff's son confirmed that his father passed away due to congestive heart failure.
Born in Jerusalem in 1919, when the city was part of the British Empire, Persoff's family immigrated to Brooklyn in 1929. After his army service during World War II, Persoff pursued acting and became one of the original members of the Actor's Studio, an influential acting company founded by director Elia Kazan.
Persoff played a taxi driver in Kazan's 1954 classic "On the Waterfront," and is driving the cab during the iconic scene when Brando delivers the "I coulda been a contender" speech. He also memorably played the gangster Little Bonaparte in the romantic comedy "Some Like It Hot."
Persoff continued acting steadily in film, television, and on stage from until the late 1980s, appearing on TV series like "Gunsmoke," "The Twilight Zone," and "Gilligan's Island." In 1983, Persoff delivered a moving performance as Rebbe Mendel in "Yentl.".
After suffering a stroke at the age of 70, Persoff shifted away from acting and focused on painting, although he did provide the voice for Papa Mousekowitz in the "An American Tale" animated movies. Few actors have a career as long and successful as Persoff's, and his work touched millions of people.