Louis Zorich

• Name — Louis Zorich • Born — 12 February 1924 • Birthplace — Chicago, Illinois, U.S. • Died — 30 January 2018 • Place of death — Manhattan, New York City, U.S. • Children — 3 • Relatives — Chris Zorich (nephew) • Occupation — * Actor • musician • Years Active — 1958–2016 • Education — Roosevelt University (BA) Art Institute of Chicago (BFA)

Zorich was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Croatian immigrants. He attended Earle Elementary School before going on to attend Roosevelt University and Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University) in his hometown of Chicago. Louis's nephew, Chris Zorich, played professional football. Zorich served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Zorich appeared in two productions, in Inherit The Wind (1958) and My Three Angels (1959), at the Crest Theatre in Toronto, Canada. Zorich made his Broadway debut in 1961 in Becket starring Laurence Olivier and Anthony Quinn. In 1969, he played a "venal Italian cardinal" in Hadrian VII where he was nominated for a Tony Award. In 1973, Zorich and his wife, the award-winning film and stage actress Olympia Dukakis, founded the Whole Theatre Company in Montclair, New Jersey — that state's first resident professional theater. They operated the theater for 18 years. In the 1976 revival of They Knew What They Wanted, Zorich played middle-aged Napa Valley grape farmer Tony and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Critic Douglas Watt wrote, "Zorich underlines the heartiness, canniness and energy of Tony -- even after he has suffered that crushing wedding-day accident --- in countless shrewd and effective details." He played Mr. Maraczek in the 1993 Broadway musical revival She Loves Me. Critic Frank Scheck wrote, "...Louis Zorich is moving as the store owner trying to cope with the news of his wife's infidelity." Zorich said in 1993, "Actors are by nature introverted, sensitive people, who can lead behind their characters. Every time I walk on that stage I still get nervous." Zorich was on the faculty of HB Studio in New York City. He also edited the anthology What Have You Done: The Inside Stories of Auditioning from the Ridiculous to the Sublime.

Zorich was married to Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis for 56 years, from 1962 until his death. They had three children together. He died at his Manhattan apartment at the age of 93 on January 30, 2018.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1958 — The Double Cure — Jules — TV movie • 1977 — Kojak — Mike DeBrieno — 1 episode • 1981 — Ryan's Hope — Detective Oliver Jones — 13 episodes • 1985 — Death of a Salesman — Ben Loman — TV movie • 1987 — The Equalizer — Zeke — Episode: "Carnal Persuasion" • 1987–1988 — As the World Turns — Inspector Haniotis — 5 episodes • 1990 — Columbo: Agenda for Murder — Frank Staplin — TV movie • 1990 — Law & Order — Judge Milton Erdheim — Episode: "Indifference" • 1991–1993 — Brooklyn Bridge — Jules Berger — 33 episodes • 1993–1999 — Mad About You — Burt Buchman — 69 episodes • 1995 — Law & Order — Judge Edgar Hynes — Episode: "Jeopardy" • 2004 — The Jury — Samuel Abrams — 1 episode

Zorich played the Russian Constable in the movie version of Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and a cab dispatcher in the comedy For Pete's Sake (1974). In The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Zorich played a Greek restaurant owner. Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote, "Louis Zorich is funny as a nice, helpful, harassed coffee-shop owner who feeds the Muppets in their lean days..." In a TV adaptation of Death of a Salesman (1985), he played Ben, the older brother of Willy Loman. Zorich appeared as a millionaire in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) with Steve Martin, and played a shady murder victim in the TV crime drama series Columbo. He co-starred in the critically acclaimed comedy TV series Brooklyn Bridge as family patriarch Jules Berger. In a 1993 interview, Zorich was asked which assignment best matched his personality. He said, "I think it would be Jules Bergen, the grandfather I played in Brooklyn Bridge. By nature, I'm rather easygoing and tend to let thing slide." Zorich mentioned that the series "afforded me the type of visibility that you can't always get in the theater..."

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1966 — Gamera, the Giant Monster — Russian Ambassador • 1968 — What's So Bad About Feeling Good? — Uncredited • 1968 — Coogan's Bluff — Taxi Driver • 1969 — Popi — Penebaz • 1971 — Cold Turkey — Douglas Truesdale — Uncredited • 1971 — They Might Be Giants — 2nd Sanitation Man • 1971 — Fiddler on the Roof — Constable • 1971 — Made for Each Other — Pandora's Father • 1973 — The Don Is Dead — Mitch DiMorra • 1974 — The Rehearsal • 1974 — For Pete's Sake — Nick • 1974 — Newman's Law — Frank Lo Falcone • 1974 — Sunday in the Country — Dinelli • 1976 — W.C. Fields and Me — Gene Fowler • 1977 — A Good Dissonance Like a Man — George W. Chadwick • 1977 — The Other Side of Midnight — Demonides • 1980 — The Changeling — Stewart Adler — Uncredited • 1980 — Up the Academy — Sheik Amier • 1984 — The Muppets Take Manhattan — Pete • 1985 — Walls of Glass — Lerner • 1986 — Club Paradise — Swiss Businessman • 1986 — Where Are the Children? — Kragopoulos • 1988 — Cheap Shots — Louie Constantine • 1988 — Dirty Rotten Scoundrels — Greek Millionaire • 1989 — Bloodhounds of Broadway — Mindy • 1991 — City of Hope — Mayor Baci • 1991 — Missing Pieces — Ochenko • 1997 — Commandments — Rudy Warner • 1997 — Kiss & Tell — Louis • 1998 — A Fish in the Bathtub — Morris • 1999 — Joe the King — Judge • 2001 — Friends & Family — Marvin Levine • 2004 — A Hole in One — Sammy • 2007 — Running Funny — Stan • 2009 — Run It — Angelo • 2011 — Detachment — Grandpa • 2011 — A Bird of the Air — Stowalski • 2011 — The Talk Man — Lou • 2015 — Emily & Tim — Tim Hanratty — Segment: "Attachment" • 2016 — No Pay, Nudity — Lester's Father — (final film role)