Acting · Jerusalem, Palestine Mandate · Born August 2, 1919
Nehemiah Persoff was an American film and television actor. Persoff emigrated with his family from Palestine to the United States in 1929. He began to take an interest in acting in the 1940s, and after serving in the Army during World War II, he began to pursue his acting career in the New York Theater. In 1947, he was accepted into the Actor's Studio and eventually began appearing in films. His film credits include: On the Waterfront, Some Like It Hot, Al Capone, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Voyage of the Damned, The Comancheros, Yentl (portraying Barbra Streisand's character's father), Twins and the American Tail (animated-film series) (voiced, "Papa Mousekewitz"). Persoff appeared in such television series as, Five Fingers ("The Moment of Truth"), The Big Valley ("Legend of a General", Parts I & II, episode), The Twilight Zone ("Judgment Night" episode), Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Heart of Gold" episode), The Untouchables, Naked City, The Legend of Jesse James, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O, Ellery Queen ("The Adventure of the Pharaoh's Curse" episode), Mission: Impossible (3 episodes), Adam-12 ("Vendetta" episode), Charlie's Angels, Hunter, Columbo, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Magnum, P.I., Law & Order and Chicago Hope. In the mid-1980s, Persoff began to pursue painting, specializing in watercolour. This was at a time when health problems forced him to decrease his acting workload.
Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story
2022
as Self - Interviewee
MovieTony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
2012
as Self
TVAngels in America
2003
as Rabbi (uncredited)
4 Faces
2001
MovieAn American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster
1999
as Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
MovieAn American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island
1998
as Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
TVChicago Hope
1994
as Rabbi Ben Taubler
MovieAn American Tail: Fievel Goes West
1991
as Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
TVLaw & Order
1990
as David Steinmetz
TVDoogie Howser, M.D.
1989
as Max Wernick
MovieTwins
1988
as Mitchell Traven
MovieThe Last Temptation of Christ
1988
as Rabbi
TVStar Trek: The Next Generation
1987
as Toff
TVJ.J. Starbuck
1987
MovieAn American Tail
1986
as Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
TVL.A. Law
1986
as Rabbi Isadore Glickman
TVMacGyver
1985
as Sam Bolinski
TVMurder, She Wrote
1984
as Constantin Stavros
TVHighway to Heaven
1984
TVHunter
1984
as Harold Goodman
MovieYentl
1983
as Rebbe Mendel
TVScarecrow and Mrs. King
1983
TVHotel
1982
TVAmerican Playhouse
1982
as Marcus Hoff
MovieO'Hara's Wife
1982
as Dr. Fischer
MovieSt. Helens
1982
as Mr. Ellison
TVMagnum, P.I.
1980
as Rabbi Asher Solomon
MovieTurnover Smith
1980
as Ashmed Amad
MovieThe Henderson Monster
1980
as Prof. Leo Tedeschi
MovieF.D.R.: The Last Year
1980
as Josef Stalin
TVCondominium
1980
as Conlaw
TVB.A.D. Cats
1980
TVThe French Atlantic Affair
1979
as Col. Schreiner
TVThe Facts of Life
1979
MovieIn Search of Historic Jesus
1979
as Herod Antipas
MovieA Cry for Justice
1979
as Dr. Burke
TVThe Rebels
1979
as Baron Von Steuben
TVSupertrain
1979
as Max
MovieDaniel in the Lions' Den
1978
as Malimar
TVThe Word
1978
as Abbot Petropolous
TVVega$
1978
TVBattlestar Galactica
1978
as Eastern Alliance Leader
MovieA Double Life
1978
MovieZiegfeld: The Man and His Women
1978
as Charles Frohman
MovieKilling Stone
1978
as Earl Stone
TVFantasy Island
1978
as Horst Von Stern
MovieThe Making of a President
1978
TVLogan's Run
1977
as ASA
MovieDeadly Harvest
1977
as Mort Logan
TVHunter
1977
as Sheik Farakbi
TVThe Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
as Vladimir
MovieVoyage of the Damned
1976
as Herr Hauser
TVQuincy, M.E.
1976
MovieFrancis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident
1976
as Rudenko
TVCharlie's Angels
1976
as Anton
TVRich Man, Poor Man - Book II
1976
as Charles Dietrich
McNaughton's Daughter
1976
as Vinnie Laine
TVThe Bionic Woman
1976
MoviePsychic Killer
1975
as Doctor Gubner
MovieEric
1975
as Dr. Duchesnes
TVWonder Woman
1975
as Professor Moreno
TVEllery Queen
1975
TVThe Invisible Man
1975
as Dr. Leon Barnard
TVBarney Miller
1975
as Carl Simms
TVBaretta
1975
MovieThe Stranger Within
1974
as Dr. Edward Klein
MovieThe Sex Symbol
1974
as Nick Fortis
TVLittle House on the Prairie
1974
as Mr. Olaf Lundstrom
TVThe Six Million Dollar Man
1974
as Major Popov
TVPolice Story
1973
TVPurple Playhouse
1973
as Dr. Van Helsing
Dracula
1973
as Dr. Van Helsing
TVCool Million
1972
as Karinakis
MovieLieutenant Schuster's Wife
1972
as Champagne Joe Carroll
MovieLapin 360
1972
TVThe Streets of San Francisco
1972
TVSearch
1972
MovieMichael O'Hara the Fourth
1972
as Artie Moreno
TVMcMillan & Wife
1971
as Clementa Habib
The Chicago Teddy Bears
1971
TVColumbo
1971
as Jesse Jerome
MovieRed Sky at Morning
1971
as Amadeo Montoya
MovieMrs. Pollifax — Spy
1971
as Berisha
TVDan August
1970
as Leo Cussoni
MovieThe People Next Door
1970
as Dr. Salazar
TVMcCloud
1970
MovieCutter's Trail
1970
as Santillo
MovieThe Girl Who Knew Too Much
1969
as Lieutenant Crawford
TVLove, American Style
1969
as Mr. Stone
TVMarcus Welby, M.D.
1969
as Max Behrman
TVThe Bill Cosby Show
1969
as Mr. Byron
MovieEscape to Mindanao
1968
as Capt. Kramer
MovieThe Treasure of San Bosco Reef
1968
as Captain Malcione
TVThe Treasure of San Bosco Reef
1968
as Captain Malcione
MoviePanic in the City
1968
as August Best
TVThe Mod Squad
1968
TVLand of the Giants
1968
as Titus
TVAdam-12
1968
as Angelo Covelli
TVHawaii Five-O
1968
as Harry Cardonus
TVThe Name of the Game
1968
as Ambassador
MovieThe Power
1968
as Prof. Carl Melnicker
MovieThe Day of the Owl
1968
as Pizzuco
TVIt Takes a Thief
1968
as Harry Lavender
MovieThe Money Jungle
1967
as Lt. Dow Reeves
TVMannix
1967
as Anton Wojeska
TVThe High Chaparral
1967
as Homero José
MovieThe Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones
1966
as Skoda
CBS Playhouse
1966
as Dr. Salazar
MovieToo Many Thieves
1966
as Georgi
TVMission: Impossible
1966
as Igor Stravos
TVJericho
1966
TVThe Time Tunnel
1966
as Prof. Anton Biraki
TVTarzan
1966
as Chembe Kunji
TVHoney West
1965
as Faustini
TVThe Wild Wild West
1965
as Major Hazard
TVThe Big Valley
1965
as General Vicente Ruiz
TVThe Legend of Jesse James
1965
as El Carnicero
MovieThe Greatest Story Ever Told
1965
as Shemiah
MovieFate Is the Hunter
1964
as Ben Sawyer
TVGilligan's Island
1964
TVThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
as Valandros
MovieA Global Affair
1964
as Under Secretary Segura
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
TVMr. Novak
1963
as Henry Selkirk
TVBurke's Law
1963
as Jason Flonder
MovieThe Hook
1963
as Capt. Van Ryn
TVSam Benedict
1962
MovieThe Comancheros
1961
as Graile
TVThe New Breed
1961
as Louis Morley
TVBen Casey
1961
TVBus Stop
1961
TVThe Wonderful World of Disney
1961
MovieThe Big Show
1961
as Bruno Everard
TVRoute 66
1960
TVMr. Lucky
1959
TVThe Untouchables
1959
as Jake 'Greasy Thumb' Guzik
TVStartime
1959
as Prior Andry
TVThe Twilight Zone
1959
as Carl Lanser
MovieThe Killers of Mussolini
1959
as Benito Mussolini
MovieDay of the Outlaw
1959
as Dan, Starret's Foreman
MovieAl Capone
1959
as Johnny Torrio
MovieSome Like It Hot
1959
as Little Bonaparte
MovieGreen Mansions
1959
as Don Panta
MovieFor Whom the Bell Tolls
1959
as Pablo
MovieNever Steal Anything Small
1959
as Pinelli
TVRawhide
1959
as Domingo
TVNaked City
1958
as Barney Peters
MovieThe Badlanders
1958
as Vincente (The Powder Monkey)
TVShirley Temple's Storybook
1958
as Ali Baba
MovieThis Angry Age
1957
as Albert Legros
TVWagon Train
1957
as Tiburcio Mendez
MovieThe Death of Manolete
1957
as Camera
MovieStreet of Sinners
1957
as Leon
MovieMen in War
1957
as Sgt. Lewis
MovieMayerling
1957
as Police Officer
MovieThe Wrong Man
1956
as Gene Conforti
MovieThe Wild Party
1956
as Kicks Johnson
TVPlayhouse 90
1956
as Pablo
MovieThe Harder They Fall
1956
as Leo
Playwrights '56
1955
TVAlfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Ralph Collins
TVGunsmoke
1955
as Jack Pinto
MovieThe Thief
1955
as D'Arnault-Olivier
TVThe Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Artie Moreno
TVClimax!
1954
as Lieutenant Cal Nourse
MovieOn the Waterfront
1954
as Cab Driver (uncredited)
TVThe Motorola Television Hour
1953
TVThe United States Steel Hour
1953
as Dr. Arnault / Oliver
MovieMarty
1953
as The Critic
TVHallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Dr. Duchesnes
TVSchlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Jules Dreise
TVArmstrong Circle Theatre
1950
TVThe Philco Television Playhouse
1948
as Ed Kagan
