Phil Leeds
Phil Leeds | |
---|---|
Born | April 6, 1916 New York City, United States |
Died | August 16, 1998 Los Angeles, California, United States | (aged 82)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1949–1998 |
Spouse | Toby Brandt (1934–1987; her death) |
Phil Leeds (April 6, 1916 – August 16, 1998) was an American character actor.[1]
Career
Leeds was born on April 6, 1916 in New York City, the son of a post office clerk. Raised in the Bronx, he was a peanut vendor for some time near Yankee Stadium and Manhattan's Polo Grounds.[2] After serving in the US Army in World War II, he started his career as a standup comedian and then went on to appear in several films and sitcoms, including Rosemary's Baby, Beaches, All in the Family, Three's Company, Night Court, Wings, Ally McBeal, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Larry Sanders Show in three episodes as Hank Kingsley's agent, Barney Miller in seven episodes including in one as a man who propositions Detective Fish, Car 54, Where Are You?, The Patty Duke Show, The Monkees, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Friends, Roseanne as Leon's co-worker and lover, Mad About You, The Dick Van Dyke Show, as Buddy Sorrell's pool shark brother, and The Golden Girls.
At age 80, he appeared on an episode of Roseanne in which Roseanne finds herself drawn into a creepy 1990s version of Rosemary's Baby (Leeds had played Dr. Shand in the original 1968 film). He appeared as a friendly spirit in the 1990 film Ghost. He appeared in the episode "When I'm 64" in the TV series ALF as Jack, one of the residents of a retirement home. His final role was a brief scene in Lost & Found (1999).
Blacklist
Leeds was blacklisted during the McCarthy era after pleading the fifth when examined by the House Un-American Activities Committee.[3][4]
Death
Leeds died of pneumonia on August 16, 1998 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles[1] at age 82. "Happy Trails," an episode of Ally McBeal, featured footage of his prior appearances on the show, eulogizing his character.[citation needed]
Filmography
- The Monkees (1966, TV Series) as Bernie
- Rosemary's Baby (1968) as Dr. Shand
- Don't Drink the Water (1969) as Sam Blackwell
- The Odd Couple (1972) as Salty Pepper
- Maude (1973, TV Series) as Principal Fishman
- Mastermind (1976) as Israeli Agent #2
- Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) as Dog Catcher
- Silent Movie (1976) as Waiter (uncredited)
- Three's Company (1979) as Lyle Wormwold
- History of the World, Part I (1981) as Chief Monk for the Spanish Inquisition
- Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie (1984) as Banker Schlockmocker
- Saturday the 14th Strikes Back (1988) as Leonard
- Beaches (1988) as Sammy Pinkers
- Cat Chaser (1989) as Jerry Shea
- Enemies, A Love Story (1989) as Pesheles
- Ghost (1990) as Ghost in the Emergency Room
- Coach (1990, TV Series) as Man
- He Said, She Said (1991) as Mr. Spepk
- Soapdish (1991) as Old Man
- Frankie and Johnny (1991) as Mr. DeLeon
- All I Want for Christmas (1991) as Mr. Feld
- Matlock (1993, TV Series) as Marty Willis
- Clean Slate (1994) as Landlord
- The Larry Sanders Show (1994) as Sid Bessel, Hank's agent
- Two Much (1996) as The Lincoln Brigade
- Friends (1996) as Mr. Adelman
- Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-1998) as Uncle Mel
- Wings (1996, TV Series) as Lou
- Krippendorf's Tribe (1998) as Dr. Harvey
- Lost & Found (1999) as Mr. Elderly Couple (final film role)
- Boy Meets World as Phil/Milton
References
- ^ a b "Phil Leeds, 82, Comic on Stage and Screen". The New York Times. August 21, 1998. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ "Phil Leeds Biography". FilmReference.com. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
- ^ Leszczak, Bob (6 August 2014). The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen: A History with Cast and Crew Profiles and an Episode Guide. McFarland. ISBN 9780786477906. Retrieved 31 December 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^ Zhulin, Denis Larionov & Alexander. "Read the eBook Investigation of Communist activities in the New York City area. Hearings (Volume Pts. 6-8) by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-Am online for free (page 7 of 30)". Ebooksread.com. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
External links
- Phil Leeds at IMDb