Lee J. Cobb
Acting
Biography
Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 — February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his performances in On the Waterfront (1954), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, 12 Angry Men (1957), and The Exorcist (1973). He also played the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan. On television, Cobb costarred in the first four seasons of the popular, long-running western series The Virginian. He typically played arrogant, intimidating, and abrasive characters, but often had roles as respectable figures such as judges. Born Leo Jacob in New York City, he grew up in The Bronx, before studying at New York University and making his film debut in The Vanishing Shadow (1934). Cobb performed in numerous theater productions and companies, including Group Theatre (New York) before serving in the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Force during World War II. Following the war, Cobb returned to film, television and theater before being accused of being a Communist in 1951 testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee by Larry Parks, himself a former Communist Party member. Cobb was called to testify before HUAC but refused to do so for two years until, with his career threatened by the blacklist, he relented in 1953 and gave testimony in which he named 20 people as former members of the Communist Party USA. Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses", on the 1954 film On the Waterfront, which is widely seen as an allegory and apologia for testifying. His 1968 performance as King Lear achieved the longest run (72 performances) for the play in Broadway history. One of his final film roles was that of police detective Lt. Kinderman in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist. Cobb died of a heart attack in February 1976 in Woodland Hills, California, and was buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was survived by his second wife, Mary Hirsch, and daughter, also an accomplished actress, Julie Cobb.
Born: December 8, 1911
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Known For
Filmography
as Judge Henry Garth
as Dante Ragusa
as Bartolomeo Gramignano
as Robert Clark
as Il commedator Benzi
as Henry Steedman
as Benzi
as Twenty Years
as Willy Calso
as Victor Bateman
as Maxwell Gordon
as Lt. Bill Kinderman
as Jovine
as Barton Keyes
as Lapchance
as Judge Garth
as Frank Galvin
as Vincent Bronson
as Duffy
as Oman Hedgepath
as Himself
as The Editor
as Lt. McElroy
as Don Mariano Arena
as Steve Skorsky
as Lloyd C. Cramden
as Willy Loman
as Cramden
as Judge Henry Garth
as Judge Henry Garth
as Harry R. Baker
as Judge Henry Garth
as Marshal Lou Ramsey
as Richter Henry Garth
as Ritcher Henry Garth
as Julio Madariaga
as Barak Ben Canaan
as Captain Maximillian Gault
as Jeremiah MacDonald
as Nuflo
as Victor Massonetti
as Rico Angelo
as Paul Delito
as Dock Tobin
as Fyodor Karamazov
as Doctor Curtis Luther
as Walter Mitchell
as Juror 3
as Captain Andrew Watling
as Drifter - Frank MacKinnon
as Lt. Barton 'Bart' Scott
as Judge Bernstein
as Willy Loman (archive footage)
as Col. Josiah Johnson
as Mieh Yang
as Jim Donovan
as Maglio
as Zadok
as Henry Fisher
as Johnny Friendly
as Detective Sgt. Garrison
as Sultan
as Self
as Capt. Theodore Bess
as Dominic Roma
as Grayson Foxhall
as Matt Erwin
as Durango
as Howard Clark
as Col. Feroud
as Lt. Ed Cullen
as Mike Figlia
as Road Crew Foreman (uncredited)
as Dr. Andrew Collins
as Dr. Joseph Pearson
as David C. Augur
as Marcus Harris
as Brian Kelly
as Juan Garcia
as Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson
as Inspector Koch
as Kralahome
as Doctor
as Dr. Dozous
as Jeptha Marr
as Bonnard
as Dr. Albert Winter
as Captain Schwabe
as Dave Morris
as Julio Diestro
as Mr. Bonaparte
as Road Crew Foreman (archive footage)
as Tony Lisotti
as Cal Howard
as President Wooden
as Roadwork Foreman