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 animated feature "Beauty and the Beast."

Orbach has appeared in many television productions, including the series "The Law and Harry McGraw" and NBC’s "The Golden Girls." He earned Emmy nominations for his work on the NBC series "Empty Nest" and Neil Simon’s "Broadway Bound" on HBO.

On stage Orbach made his first New York 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" and received his first Tony Award nomination for the City Center revival of "Guys and Dolls." Additionally, Orbach won rave reviews 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."