Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb (born Leo Jacoby; December 8, 1911 – February 11, 1976) was an American actor, known both for film roles and his work on the Broadway stage, as well as for his television role in the series, The Virginian. He often played arrogant, intimidating and abrasive characters, but he also acted as respectable figures such as judges and police officers. Cobb originated the role of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan, and was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for On the Waterfront (1954) and The Brothers Karamazov (1958).
Lee J. Cobb | |
|---|---|
Cobb c. 1960s | |
| Born | Leo Jacoby December 8, 1911 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 11, 1976 (aged 64) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1934–1976 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4, including Julie Cobb |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1942–45 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | First Motion Picture Unit |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Victory Medal Campaign Medal |
His film performances included Juror #3 in 12 Angry Men (1957), Dock Tobin in Man of the West (1958), Barak Ben Canaan in Exodus (1960), Marshall Lou Ramsey in How the West Was Won (1962), Cramden in Our Man Flint (1966), and Lt. William Kinderman in The Exorcist (1973).
On television, Cobb played a leading role in the first four seasons of the Western series, The Virginian as Judge Henry Garth and the ABC legal drama The Young Lawyers as David Barrett, and was nominated for an Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor Primetime Emmy Award three times. In 1981, Cobb was posthumously inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.