Jerry Orbach: Summary

Recent Role:: D.A. Investigator Lennie Briscoe (Episodes 1-2) on Law & Order: Trial by Jury

Gender:: Male

Birthday:: 10-20-1935

Death:: 12-28-2004

Birthplace:: New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name:: Jerome Bernard Orbach

On Broadway, Orbach starred in hit musicals including "Carnival," "Promises, Promises" (for which he won a Tony Award), "Chicago" and "42nd Street."

Earlier, he was in the original cast of the off-off-Broadway hit "The Fantasticks," playing the narrator. The show went on to run for more than 40 years.

Lights on Broadway marquees were expected to be dimmed for one minute at curtain time Wednesday night in Orbach's memory.

Among his film appearances were roles in "Dirty Dancing," "Prince of the City" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors." In the animated feature "Beauty and the Beast," he voiced the role of the candlestick, and got to sing a key song, "Be Our Guest."

Orbach is expected to appear in early episodes of "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," for which he continued as Briscoe in a secondary role, when the show premieres later this season, Davis said.

"I'm immensely saddened by the passing of not only a friend and colleague, but a legendary figure of 20th century show business," said Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of the "Law & Order" series, in a statement. "He was one of the most honored performers of his generation. His loss is irreplaceable."

With his hang-dog face and loose-limbed gait, Orbach was adept at playing the street-smart tough guy, but could also hoof and carry a tune. And not only was he a beloved star, he also personified New York's well-worn but implacable edge. A lifelong New Yorker, he inhabited and embodied the Big Apple like few other actors.

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani called Orbach "a friend to all New Yorkers" and "a devoted ambassador of the city."

Born in the Bronx in 1935, Orbach was the son of a vaudeville-performer father and a radio-singer mother. He started his acting career in school plays, then attended Northwestern University's prestigious drama school, though he couldn't swing the money to finish. In 1955, he returned to New York to hit the stage.

In a 2000 interview with the Associated Press, Orbach remembered those days fondly. Money was tight, even with his early successes: In 1960 he was earning just $45 a week in "The Fantasticks," but "even married, with a son, we lived all right."

He then began an association with producer David Merrick, appearing in three of Merrick's biggest musical successes, starting in 1961 with "Carnival!", in which he played an embittered puppeteer opposite Anna Maria Alberghetti's winsome Lili.

Orbach won a Tony for his performance in Merrick's "Promises, Promises," the Neil Simon-Burt Bacharach-Hal David musical based on the film "The Apartment." In the show, Orbach played Chuck Baxter, the role originated in the movie by Jack Lemmon.

Yet his biggest hit for Merrick was "42nd Street," which opened on Broadway in 1980 and ran for more than 3,400 performances. In the show, which is based on the c Warner Bros. backstage movie musical, Orbach played hard-boiled producer Julian Marsh, who brings the young hoofer out of the chorus to replace the show's ailing star.

Orbach also was in the original production of "Chicago" in 1975, which also starred Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera. He played Billy Flynn, the role Richard Gere inherited in the 2002 film.

"It was gift to work with him," recalled actress Brenda Smiley, who co-starred with Orbach in the Off-Broadway stage hit "Scuba Duba," a dark comedy by Bruce Jay Friedman, in 1967-68. "He was a master at that kind of performing and he made it so easy for everyone else."

From early, obscure films like "Cop Hater" and "Mad Dog Coll," Orbach rose to appearances in Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and the 1981 crime drama "Prince of the City," in a cop role that presaged his "Law & Order" character.

In 1987-88, he starred in the series "The Law and Harry McGraw," a spinoff featuring a character he created in "Murder, She Wrote." It flopped, but five years later he struck gold, following Paul Sorvino as a detective in Manhattan's 27th Precinct. On Broadway, Orbach starred in hit musicals including "Carnival," "Promises, Promises" (for which he won a Tony Award), "Chicago" and "42nd Street."

Earlier, he was in the original cast of the off-off-Broadway hit "The Fantasticks," playing the narrator. The show went on to run for more than 40 years.

Lights on Broadway marquees were...

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cherrytree34
member since: Jul 13, 2007
I love this guy! ...Continue »
Jerry Orbach brought joy to so many people in his life. He was more than a fantastic actor; he was a wonderful person, too, which makes him even more likable. (There's nothing worse than actors or actresses who you like until you learn something of their real personalities.) I still love to watch Orbach's appearances in Murder, She Wrote. His character there was similar to his Law and Order persona, Lennie Briscoe, with hints of the sarcastic lines that would characterize Briscoe appearing in his role as Harry McGraw. Orbach had that rare ability to bring to life a character who is both pitiful and admirable (Briscoe's alcoholism vs. his attempts to fix things with his daughter). As an actor, Orbach gave the world many gifts, and when he passed away, he donated his eyes and gave two grateful New Yorkers an even better gift - sight. He always took time to talk to his fans, recognizing that without them, he would be nothing. Above all, he entered a world in which he couldn't walk around without being recognized and approached by people who loved him, but he still managed to maintain a very down-to-earth perspective. He never forgot where he came from, and he never forgot that it was his fans who helped get him where he was. He was, without a doubt, a man worthy in all senses of his fans' love, and he will be missed by them for a long time to come.
10/04/07 09:35pm | report abuse
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quiet_soul
member since: Jul 13, 2005
Jerry Orbach made the wise-cracking cop look cool. He is sorely missed. ...Continue »
I cannot give a detailed review of Jerry as I would have liked to. I only remember him from "Dirty Dancing" and the "Law and Order" series. However from the little I've seen, I can say that he was a great actor who made his charaters real and relatable.
In the "Law and Order" series, I personally believe that he made the wise-cracking cop look cool.In spite of the fact that I myself cannot give a lengthy review of his achievments and acting resume, I do hope however, that Jerry will not be remembered only for playing a wise-cracking officer.

It's such a tragedy that he's gone. God rest your soul, Jerry.
09/23/07 10:12pm | report abuse
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JPPT1974
member since: Nov 2, 2005
Miss him still very much! ...Continue »
I really love Jerry Orbach. From movies to tv. As I loved him as the French candle on Beauty & the Beast. But it was Law & Order that got me hooked on him. As Lennie Briscoe, whose wisecracks made the even bad days good. As well as really was the heart and soul of the show. When he left, that was a big blow to the show. But when he died, the show left a huge whole to fill. Show actors come and go on the show. But there is only one Lennie Briscoe. And only one Jerry Orbach. Good-bye Jerry you are still missed!
08/03/07 01:53pm | report abuse
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vegancrusader
member since: Jun 14, 2007
One of the all time greats and a personal favorite for his role as Detective Lennie Briscoe on "Law and Order". ...Continue »
Born in 1935 in New York, Orbach had a long career in acting, be it TV, on stage or on the big screen. Orbach's first appearence was in 1955 on the film "Guys and Dolls" directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Orbach made multiple appearences on the Tv series "Murder she wrote" as well as "Homicide: life on the street". It was on "Law and Order" where Orbach was best known, for his role as detective "Lennie Briscoe", lasting 14 years (274 episodes). Some of his later work included a few episodes on "Law and Order: Trial by jury", a show that stuck around for just one season.

Known also for his musical talent, Orbach performed various songs on three Tony Award ceremony shows. Jerry Orbach also appeared in voice on two Walt Disney productions "Beauty and the Beast"(1991) and "Aladdin" 1994) and performed in musical numbers for each of these films.

Over his career the much adored Orbach appeared in almost 100 films as well as many more on stage productions. Jerry Orbach died of prostate cancer on December 28th 2004 and will be missed by many.
07/04/07 05:11pm | report abuse
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animaltalker1
member since: May 13, 2006
How appropriate that Jerry Orbach gave voice to the candelabra Lumiere, for he shone so brightly. I didn't just love him as the street-wise, but weary detective Lennie Briscoe, I loved bumbling P.I. Harry McGraw, envied Baby that he was her Daddy, and I a ...Continue »
When Jerry Orbach died a fellow fan remarked in her blog "heaven has another star" and I replied "I think he was always just on loan".

Jerry Orbach was a rarity he was a star on Broadway for decades before most of the country discovered him as an actor on TV. He starred in a string of OffBroadway and Broadway hits. The Fantasticks -The longest running off-Broadway play (40yrs). Orbach was the original El Gallo and the creators credit his talents as being responsible for the musical ending up in it's final form. Jerry's theme song Try to Remember comes from The Fantasticks. His first Broadway musical was Carnival, he played the romantic lead, a crippled puppeteer. He not only sang such beautiful songs as She's My Love and Her Face but also provided the voices for 4 puppets. His next musical Promises, Promises he won a Tony for and introduced 2 very popular Burt Bacharach songs the musical's title piece and I'll Never Fall in Love Again. Jerry Orbach was the Original shyster - Billy Flynn in Chicago, yet another Tony nominated performance. If you get a chance to hear him sing or see some of the rare tapes of his performances (each of the Broadway's Lost Treasures has one of his performances on it)

In the midst of all his success as a Broadway musical star he still longed to do roles on the big screen and finally a big break came along. He was cast in Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City as the tough New York City Cop Gus Levy. He turns in a terrific performance in that movie and has a great scene in which he gets very physical with one of those IAB rat squad kind of guys. HIs role in that movie would eventual lead to great things.
By the time the film was released and began getting critical acclaim, Jerry was already cast as the lead in another Broadway Musical 42nd St. The musical would be such a big hit and Jerry had a standing policy to "never leave a hit show", that he had to pass up a lot of movie deals.

Finally he started having luck on the small screen and with the development of the recurring character good-hearted but somewhat accident prone PI Harry McGraw for fellow thespian Angela Lansbury's hit show Murder She Wrote. Jerry was on his way to a spin-off series of his own the Law and Harry McGraw. But success was short lived as the series only lasted one season. He'd work in various movies and TV series until Dick Wolf needed to replace the senior detective a second time in as many years on his new Drama Law & Order. According to both Orbach and Wolf, when Jerry asked for some direction on how Wolf wanted him to play the character Lennie Briscoe, Wolf told him to just give him Gus Levy, and so a TV legend was born.

Whether people remember Jerry Orbach from having seen him in one of his many roles on Broadway, or if they will forever think of him as Dr. Houseman Baby's father, or as Gus Levy the tough cop who wouldn't be railroaded, or if he'll always be wisecracking Detective Lennie Briscoe, no matter what it will always be ... nice to remember.
05/14/06 02:37am | report abuse