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Through his work in such films as "Prince of the
City" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors", as well as in Broadway’s "42nd Street" and on NBC’s "Law & Order", Jerry Orbach has earned a reputation as the quintessential New Yorker and was honored with a 1997 Crystal Apple Award from the New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Television and Broadcasting for his contribution to the arts. He has also earned critical acclaim for his work on stage, in films and on television. The versatile actor’s many motion-picture credits include "Dirty Dancing", "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "F/X". He recently co-starred with Al Pacino in "Chinese Coffee", which Pacino also produced and directed. He was also the voice of Lumiere, the Candelabra, in the Disney feature "Beauty and the Beast". Orbach has appeared in many television productions, including the series "The Law and Harry McGraw" and "The Golden Girls". He earned Emmy nominations for his work on the NBC series "Empty Nest" and Neil Simon’s "Broadway Bound" on HBO. He made his first New York stage appearance in "The Threepenny Opera" as Mack the Knife. In 1960, he created the role of El Gallo in the off-Broadway milestone "The Fantasticks". He made his Broadway debut in David Merrick’s production of "Carnival". He received his first Tony Award nomination for his performance in the City Center revival of "Guys and Dolls". He won raves for his virtuoso performance in Bruce Jay Friedman’s "Scuba Duba", received a Tony Award for "Promises, Promises", and starred in "6 Rms Riv Vu" and "Chicago". He also toured for nine months in the national company of Neil Simon’s "Chapter Two". Orbach lives with his wife in New York. His birthday is October 20. |
