Michael Wager
Photo by Carl Van Vechten
Michael Wager (born Emanuel Weisgal,[1] April 29, 1925 – December 26, 2011[citation needed]) was an American film and television actor.
Wager was born in New York, New York, and nicknamed "Mendy". He was the son of Meyer Weisgal, a journalist, publisher, playwright, fundraiser, and Zionist activist, and Shirley (Hirshfeld) Weisgal.[citation needed]
He appeared in the war films, Hill 24 Doesn't Answer and Exodus, and he appeared in a recurring role, as Jonas Roving, on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. One of his roles was Thomas the Apostle in King of Kings. He also appeared in the soap opera Search for Tomorrow and made TV commercials.[2]
Personal life[edit]
Wager married Susan Blanchard on October 9, 1962.[3] Wager was bisexual.[citation needed]
He was a good friend of the Bernsteins, the composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia. He lived above them in The Dakota, and was especially close to Felicia. He was with both Lenny and Felicia before their respective deaths.[citation needed]
In popular culture[edit]
He was hugely into opera and the opera queen Mendy in Terrence McNally's play The Lisbon Traviata was based on him.[4]
He was portrayed by Zachary Booth in Bradley Cooper's 2023 film Maestro.
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Hill 24 Doesn't Answer | Allan Goodman | |
| 1960 | Exodus | David Ben Ami | |
| 1961 | King of Kings | Thomas | |
| 1976 | The Adams Chronicles | Albert Gallatin | Miniseries |
| 1980 | Jane Austen in Manhattan | George Midash | |
| 1981 | Ryan's Hope | Jonas Roving | Recurring role |
References[edit]
- ^ Room, Adrian (10 January 2014). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. McFarland. p. 498. ISBN 978-0-7864-5763-2. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Cloud, Barbara (January 25, 1976). "'Unknown' Actor In 2-Character Drama With Jose Ferrer". The Pittsburgh Press. p. H 2. Retrieved September 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Actor Is Wed". The Record. New Jersey, Hackensack. United Press International. October 10, 1962. p. 76. Retrieved 17 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bernstein, Jamie (June 12, 2018). Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0062641359.
External links[edit]
- Michael Wager at IMDb
- Michael Wager at the Internet Broadway Database
- Michael Wager at the University of Wisconsin's Actors Studio audio collection
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