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Maury Chaykin

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Maury Chaykin
Chaykin in A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Born
Maury Alan Chaykin

(1949-07-27)July 27, 1949
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 27, 2010(2010-07-27) (aged 61)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship
  • United States
  • Canada[1]
Alma materSUNY Buffalo
OccupationActor
Years active1968–2010
Spouses
  • Ilana Frank (married ?–1993)
  • Susannah Hoffmann (married ?–2010)
Children1
AwardsSee below

Maury Alan Chaykin (July 27, 1949 – July 27, 2010) was an American-Canadian actor. Described as "one of the most recognizable faces in Canadian cinema,"[2] he was best known for his portrayal of Rex Stout's detective Nero Wolfe on the television series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001-02), as well as for his work as a character actor in many films and television programs.[1]

His notable film appearances include WarGames (1983), Twins (1988), Dances with Wolves (1990), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Money for Nothing (1993), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Cutthroat Island (also 1995), The Sweet Hereafter (1997), Mouse Hunt (also 1997), The Mask of Zorro (1998), Entrapment (1999) and Mystery, Alaska (also 1999), Being Julia (2004), Blindness (2008), and Barney's Version (2010). During the 1990s, he was a frequent collaborator of Toronto New Wave director Atom Egoyan. On television, he starred as Sam Blecher on the first two seasons of the Canadian dramedy Less Than Kind (2008-10).

Chaykin was a three-time Genie Award nominee, winning Best Actor in a Leading Role for Whale Music (1994), and a two-time Gemini Award winner. He won two Canadian Comedy Awards and an ACTRA Award for his work on Less Than Kind.

Early life

[edit]
Chaykin in 2010

Chaykin was born to Jewish parents in Brooklyn, New York. His American father, Irving J. Chaykin (1912–2007), was born in Brooklyn, and was a professor of accountancy at City College of New York.[3] His Canadian mother, Clarice Chaykin (née Bloomfield, 1921–2012),[4] was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but raised in Montreal, Quebec, since the age of three. She graduated from Beth Israel Hospital nursing school in Newark, New Jersey.[5] Chaykin's Montreal-born maternal uncle, George Bloomfield (1930–2011), was a veteran Canadian director, producer, writer and actor who directed Chaykin in a number of projects for film and television.[6]

Raised in New York City, Chaykin studied drama at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, where he co-founded an avant-garde troupe called the Swamp Fox Theater Group.[7] After performing uninvited at an underground theatre festival in Toronto, Ontario, he was encouraged by artistic director Ken Gass to relocate there. He subsequently moved to Toronto in 1974, where he resided until his death.[7]

Career

[edit]

Chaykin was known for portrayals of blustery supporting characters. One of his rare leading roles was Nero Wolfe. Chaykin first played the legendary detective in The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2000), an A&E telefilm adaptation of the 1953 novel by Rex Stout. Timothy Hutton costarred in the production as Archie Goodwin. The New York Times reported Chaykin's "undisguised delight" at starring in the promotion for The Golden Spiders: "There's an extraordinary billboard up on Sunset Boulevard right now, with a humongous photograph of my face. ... I drive by it constantly, back and forth, back and forth."[8] The original movie's success led to the weekly series, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, which played for two seasons on A&E and continues to air internationally. Chaykin and Hutton had worked together previously, albeit briefly, in the 1985 film Turk 182; and they worked together subsequently, in the 2006 film Heavens Fall.[citation needed]

Two of Chaykin's early motion picture roles brought him public recognition: computer programmer Jim Sting in WarGames and prosecution witness Sam Tipton in My Cousin Vinny. In 1990, he had a small but pivotal role in the film Dances with Wolves, portraying Major Fambrough, an Army fort commander who kills himself as a result of becoming insane.[citation needed]

Chaykin had his first starring role in Whale Music, a 1994 film in which he played a burned-out rock star, a character based largely on Brian Wilson. Chaykin was named Best Actor at the 15th Genie Awards for his portrayal.[citation needed]

Chaykin also had roles on the television series Seeing Things and Emily of New Moon as well as a recurring role as the intergalactic gourmand Nerus (a nod to Nero Wolfe)[9] in Stargate SG-1.

Chaykin portrayed the colorful bookie Frank Perlin opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman's compulsive gambler Dan Mahowny in Owning Mahowny, a film that critic Roger Ebert named as one of the ten best of 2003. In 2006, Chaykin appeared in an episode of the Ken Finkleman miniseries At the Hotel and received a Gemini Award for best performance by an actor in a guest role. He had a semi-recurring role in the HBO series Entourage, as volatile movie producer Harvey Weingard, an inspiration of the soon-to-be disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. He also appeared as Stan Deane, father of Kevin Zegers' character Woody Deane, in the 2006 romantic comedy It's a Boy Girl Thing.[citation needed]

Chaykin starred as Sam Blecher, the owner of a family-run driving school in Winnipeg, in the first two seasons (2008–2010) of the Canadian comedy-drama television series Less Than Kind. The series received the 2010 Gemini Award for Best Comedy Program or Series.[10]

"Sam is an out-of-control, good-hearted, big-hearted person who just can't quite get it right with his family," Chaykin told Q radio interviewer Jian Ghomeshi in April 2010. "He's full of love but he can't express it. But what he does express is anxiety, desperation, and the need to dominate, which is kind of pathetic." Asked whether he liked the character, Chaykin replied, "I love him. I do, I really do, and it's the same kind of love that a person has for family — where you see their foibles but at the same time you embrace them because they are a part of you. And Sam certainly is a part of me."[11]

In 2011, Chaykin posthumously received the ACTRA Toronto Award for Outstanding Performance — Male for his performance as Sam Blecher in Less Than Kind. He had been nominated for the award in 2003, for his portrayal of Nero Wolfe.[citation needed]

Personal life

[edit]

Chaykin's first marriage, to Canadian producer Ilana Frank, ended in divorce.[12] He was subsequently married to Canadian actress Susannah Hoffmann, with whom he had one daughter, Rose. Best known for having played Jen Pringle in the Anne of Avonlea series, Hoffmann had a supporting role in a 2002 episode of the television series A Nero Wolfe Mystery, in which Chaykin starred.[citation needed]

Chaykin was a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.[1]

Critical appraisal

[edit]

Writing for the Toronto International Film Festival, Brian D. Johnson summarized Chaykin's screen persona as "[bringing] an unnerving edge to whatever character he plays, a disturbing sense of dissociation. But while all his roles are weird, each is weird in its own way. Modifying his signature from one role to the next, Chaykin gives the impression of creating the character as the camera rolls."[13]

Bruce Weber of The New York Times posthumously described Chaykin as "a ubiquitous character actor who specialized in comic roles with disturbing undertones and disturbing roles with comic undertones."[14]

Death

[edit]

Maury Chaykin died in Toronto on July 27, 2010, his 61st birthday, from complications of a heart valve infection.[1]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Director Notes
1975 Me Oliver Jordan John Palmer
1980 Nothing Personal Kanook George Bloomfield
Double Negative Rollins
The Kidnapping of the President Harvey Cannon George Mendeluk
1981 Death Hunt Clarence Peter R. Hunt
1982 Soup for One Dr. Wexler Jonathan Kaufer
Highpoint Falco Peter Carter
1983 Curtains Monty Richard Ciupka
Peter Simpson
WarGames Jim Sting John Badham
Of Unknown Origin Dan Errol George P. Cosmatos
1984 Harry & Son Lawrence Paul Newman
Mrs. Soffel Guard Charlie Reynolds Gillian Armstrong
1985 Turk 182 Man In Wheelchair Bob Clark
Def-Con 4 Vinny Paul Donovan
1986 The Vindicator Burt Arthurs Jean-Claude Lord
Meatballs III: Summer Job Huey George Mendeluk
1987 The Bedroom Window Pool Player Curtis Hanson
Wild Thing Jonathan Trask Max Reid
Future Block Voice Kevin McCracken
Nowhere to Hide Marchais Mario Philip Azzopardi
Hearts of Fire Charlie Kelso Richard Marquand
Caribe Captain Burdoch Michael Kennedy
1988 Higher Education Guido John Sheppard Uncredited
Stars and Bars Freeborn Gage Pat O'Connor
Iron Eagle II Sgt. Neville Downs Sidney J. Furie
Twins Burt Klane Ivan Reitman
1989 Millennium Roger Keane Michael Anderson
Cold Comfort Floyd Lucas Vic Sarin
George's Island Mr. Droonfield Paul Donovan
Breaking In Vincent Tucci Bill Forsyth
1990 Where the Heart Is Harry John Boorman
Mr. Destiny Guzelman James Orr
Dances with Wolves Maj. Fambrough Kevin Costner
1991 The Adjuster Bubba Atom Egoyan
The Pianist Cody Claude Gagnon
Montréal vu par... Jurgen Van Doom Atom Egoyan Segment: "En passant"
1992 My Cousin Vinny Sam Tipton Jonathan Lynn
Leaving Normal Leon "Crazy-As" Pendleton Edward Zwick
Buried on Sunday Dexter Lexcannon Paul Donovan
Hero Winston Stephen Frears
1993 Sommersby Dawson Jon Amiel
Money for Nothing Vincente Goldoni Ramón Menéndez
Josh and S.A.M. Pizza Man Billy Weber
Beethoven's 2nd Cliff Klamath Rod Daniel
1994 Exotica Exotica Club Client Atom Egoyan Uncredited
Whale Music Desmond Howl Richard J. Lewis
Camilla Harold Cara Deepa Mehta
Transplant Bradley Walsh Short film
1995 Unstrung Heroes Arthur Lidz Diane Keaton
Devil in a Blue Dress Matthew Terell Carl Franklin
Cutthroat Island John Reed Renny Harlin
1996 Harriet the Spy Holiday Pageant Director Bronwen Hughes Uncredited
1997 Love and Death on Long Island Irving Buckmuller Richard Kwietniowski
The Sweet Hereafter Wendell Walker Atom Egoyan
Gone Fishin' Kirk Christopher Cain Uncredited
Strip Search Tomas Rod Hewitt
Pale Saints The Pirate J. H. Wyman
A Life Less Ordinary Tod Johnson Danny Boyle
Mouse Hunt Alexander Falko Gore Verbinski
1998 Jerry and Tom Billy Saul Rubinek
The Mask of Zorro Prison Warden Martin Campbell
1999 Let the Devil Wear Black Bruce Stacy Title
Entrapment Conrad Greene Jon Amiel
Touched Bert Mort Ransen
Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang Mr. Cooper / Louie Loser George Bloomfield
Mystery, Alaska Bailey Pruitt Jay Roach
2000 What's Cooking? Herbie Seelig Gurinder Chadha
The Art of War FBI Agent Frank Capella Christian Duguay
2001 Bartleby Ernest Jonathan Parker
Plan B Donald Rossi Greg Yaitanes
On Their Knees Norman Anais Granofsky
2002 Past Perfect Chuck Daniel MacIvor
The Wet Season Uncle Rick Martha Ferguson Short
Hostage The Kidnapper John Woo Segment for the BMW short film series The Hire
2003 Owning Mahowny Frank Perlin Richard Kwietniowski
2004 Sugar Stanley John Palmer
Being Julia Walter Gibbs István Szabó
Intern Academy Dr. Roger "Tony" Toussant Dave Thomas
Wilby Wonderful Mayor Brent Fisher Daniel MacIvor
2005 Where the Truth Lies Sally Sanmarco Atom Egoyan
2006 Heavens Fall Lyle Harris Terry Green
It's a Boy Girl Thing Stan Deane Nick Hurran
2008 Production Office Shelly Deborah Marks
Steve Solomos
The Grift Rusty Ralph E. Portillo
Blindness The Accountant Fernando Meirelles
Adoration Passenger & Professor On-Line Atom Egoyan
Bull Roland Gow Kent Tessman
Hooked on Speedman Dietrich Baum Michelle Ouellet
2009 Cooking with Stella H.E. Mr. Durand Dilip Mehta
2010 Barney's Version John Emory Richard J. Lewis
Casino Jack Anthony "Big Tony" Moscatiello George Hickenlooper
2011 Conduct Unbecoming Colonel Fox Sidney J. Furie Posthumous release

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1978 King of Kensington Unknown Episode: "Polyfur"
1980 Jimmy B. and André Bruno TV movie
1981 Just Jessie Joey Harper TV movie
The July Group Harvey TV movie
1982–86 Seeing Things Randall Jackson 4 episodes
1983 ABC Weekend Special "Mousey" Episode: "Horatio Alger Updated: Frank and Fearless"
American Playhouse Gondol Episodes: "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"
1984 The Guardian Rudy Simbro TV movie
Hockey Night "Bum" Johnston TV movie
1985 In Like Flynn Williams TV movie
Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks Harold Chamberlain Banks TV movie
The Suicide Murders Sid TV movie
1986 Act of Vengeance Claude Vealey TV movie
Philip Marlowe, Private Eye Lieutenant Copernik Episode: "Red Wind"
Adderly Russian Agent Episode: "Requiem"
Night Heat Mallory / Merle Marlowe 2 episodes
Crime Story Steven Kordo Episode: "Crime Pays"
Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show Fire Captain Episode: "There's an Elephant Stuck Up That Tree"
1987 Diamonds Murray Wolf Episode: "Here Comes the Bride"
Race for the Bomb General Leslie Groves 2 episodes
1988 Hot Paint Wilensky TV movie
1989 The Twilight Zone James L. "Fats" Brown Episode: "A Game of Pool"
1990 Street Legal Ben Tochet 2 episodes
Labor of Love Unknown TV movie
1991 Conspiracy of Silence Lawyer D'Arcy Bancroft Episode: "Episode #1.1"
1992 Split Images Walter Kouza TV movie
1993 Matrix Lionel Meeks / Charles Meeks 2 episodes
1995 Sugartime Tony Accardo TV movie
1996 If Looks Could Kill Dr. Richard Boggs TV movie
1997 Keeping the Promise Ben Loomis TV movie
La Femme Nikita Rudy Episode: "Innocent"
Northern Lights Ben Rubadue TV movie
1997–98 Due South Pike / Jasper Gutman 2 episodes
1998 Tracey Takes On... Kurt Rasmussen Episode: "Marriage"
Emily of New Moon Lofty John Episode: "Paradise Lost"
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal Dr. Bob Dalhousie Episode: "Harlequin"
1999 Lexx Pa Gollean 2 episodes
Made in Canada Captain McGee Episode: "For the Children"
Joan of Arc Robert de Baudricourt 3 episodes
2000 The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery Nero Wolfe TV movie
2001 Varian's War Marcello TV movie
2001–02 A Nero Wolfe Mystery Nero Wolfe 20 episodes
2001 Bleacher Bums Billy, The Scorekeeper TV movie
2002 Crossed Over Ethan Lowry TV movie
2003 Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales Dan Weisman TV movie
Andromeda Citizen Eight Episode: "Pieces of Eight"
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Joseph Greene / Joe Landers Episode: "No More Bets"
The Eleventh Hour Dr. Jackson Episode: "The Revenge Specialist"
Sex Traffic Ernie Dwight 2 episodes
2005 The Hunt for the BTK Killer Robert Beattie TV movie
2005–06 Stargate SG-1 Nerus 2 episodes
2005–07 Entourage Harvey Weingard 4 episodes
2006 Boston Legal Ryan Myerson Episode: "Live Big"
At the Hotel' Jerry Mitchell Episode: "The Perfect Couple"
Trailer Park Boys Chief of Police Episode: "Gimme My Fuckin Money or Randy's Dead"
Eureka Sheriff William Cobb Episode: "Pilot"
2007 Superstorm Senator Wallace 3 episodes
2007 Elijah Premier Howard Pawley TV movie
2008 Glitch Mr. Linkletter TV movie
2008 Murder on Her Mind John Emory TV movie
2008–10 Less Than Kind Sam Blecher 26 episodes
2009 Abroad Lord Oldenberg TV movie
2011 The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour Doctor Funtime Episode: "Maury Chaykin Fucked Us"

Partial theatre credits

[edit]

Select theatre credits for Maury Chaykin were part of his resumé at Edna Talent Management, Ltd.[15]

Year Title Role Director Company Ref.
1968 Oh! What A Lovely War Ambassador Tom Moore University at Buffalo Theatre [16]
1973 Fat Fell Down Spike Theater for the New City [17]
1974 Me? Oliver Jordan John Palmer Toronto Free Theatre
1974 Tony's Woman Alexq Hrant Alianak Theatre Passe Muraille [18]
1977 Gossip Sam Lewis John Palmer Toronto Free Theatre
1977 The Boy Bishop De Bois Ken Gass Factory Theatre Lab [19]
1977 Romulus the Great Zeno Marion André Theatre Plus [20]
1978 Gimme Shelter Ton Des McAnuff Brooklyn Academy of Music Dodger Theatre [21]
1979 Leave It to Beaver Is Dead Thompson Des McAnuff The Public Theatre [22]
1985 A Man's a Man Jip Robert Woodruff La Jolla Playhouse [23]

Awards and honours

[edit]
Year Award Category Work Result
1986 Gemini Award Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Single Dramatic Program[7] Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks Nominated
1989 Genie Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Iron Eagle II Nominated
1990 Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Cold Comfort Nominated
1994 Whale Music Won
1997 National Board of Review Best Acting by an Ensemble[24] The Sweet Hereafter Won
1998 Gemini Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series La Femme Nikita ("Innocent") Won
1998 Emily of New Moon ("Paradise Lost") Nominated
2003 ACTRA Toronto Award Outstanding Performance – Male[25][26] A Nero Wolfe Mystery Nominated
2006 Gemini Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series At the Hotel ("The Perfect Couple") Won
2009 Canadian Comedy Award Best Performance by an Ensemble – Television[27][28] Less Than Kind Won
2010 Won
2011 ACTRA Toronto Award Outstanding Performance – Male[29] Won

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Weber, Bruce (2010-07-29). "Maury Chaykin, Character Actor, Dies at 61". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  2. ^ "Canadian Film Encyclopedia - Maury Chaykin". cfe.tiff.net. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  3. ^ Irving Chaykin death notice in The New York Times, April 1, 2007; Irving Chaykin memorial at Baruch College
  4. ^ Clarice Chaykin Obituary in The New York Times, May 23, 2012
  5. ^ Multicultural Canada Archived July 14, 2012, at archive.today, Canadian Jewish Review, April 12, 1946, p. 18
  6. ^ George Bloomfield obituary Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, The Globe and Mail, May 16, 2011. George Bloomfield, Internet Movie Database (retrieved May 26, 2011). Bloomfield directed Chaykin in films including Riel, Double Negative and Nothing Personal. For television, Bloomfield directed Chaykin in the TV movie Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang as well as episodes of Street Legal, La Femme Nikita, Emily of New Moon and A Nero Wolfe Mystery ("Murder Is Corny," "Poison à la Carte").
  7. ^ a b c "Maury Chaykin | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  8. ^ Weitzman, Elizabeth, "The Nominees for Hardest-Working Actor Are..."; The New York Times, March 12, 2000. "It's a rare show of vanity for an actor who specializes in particularly unsavory characters," Weitzman wrote.
  9. ^ Zekas, Rita, "That's a Maury," Toronto Star, February 19, 2006. "I've been playing a character called Nerus on a few episodes of Stargate SG-1", Chaykin told the columnist. "The creator of the show is a big fan of Nero Wolfe. Nerus is a gourmand from a different planet."
  10. ^ "Less Than Kind wins 3 Geminis". CBC News, November 13, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  11. ^ "Maury Chaykin on Q TV" on YouTube; CBC Q video interview by Jian Ghomeshi, posted April 28, 2010
  12. ^ "Award-winning actor was TV's 'Nero Wolfe'";The Washington Post, July 28, 2010. Posner, Michael, "Obituaries; Maury Alan Chaykin, 61." The Globe and Mail, July 31, 2010
  13. ^ "Canadian Film Encyclopedia - Maury Chaykin". cfe.tiff.net. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  14. ^ Weber, Bruce (2010-07-29). "Maury Chaykin, Character Actor, Dies at 61". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  15. ^ Maury Chaykin at the Wayback Machine (archived December 4, 2008), Edna Talent Management Ltd., archived 2008-12-04 from the original at the Internet Archive. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  16. ^ "Tom Moore". Film Reference.com. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  17. ^ "Production history". Theatre for the New City. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  18. ^ "Director". Hrant Alianak official site. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  19. ^ "Ken Gass". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  20. ^ "Now that Summer's Here: a Brief History of Theatre Plus". Sonja Hermans, University of Guelph Library, 1988. Archived from the original on 2013-05-20. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  21. ^ "BAM 150 Timeline" (PDF). Brooklyn Academy of Music. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  22. ^ Gussow, Mel, "Stage: Of TV Survivors, Clinics and Drug Addicts". The New York Times, April 4, 1979
  23. ^ "Stage Review : Bill Irwin Proves 'A Man's A Man'". Sylvie Drake, Los Angeles Times, July 23, 1985. 23 July 1985. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  24. ^ Award shared with Caerthan Banks, Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Tom McCamus, Stephanie Morgenstern, Gabrielle Rose and Alberta Watson
  25. ^ "ACTRA Award Revived in Honour of 60th Anniversary". ACTRA. February 3, 2003. Archived from the original on December 9, 2003. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  26. ^ "The ACTRA Awards in Toronto". ACTRA. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  27. ^ Award shared with Benjamin Arthur, Jesse Camacho, Wendel Meldrum and Nancy Sorel; CBC News, October 2, 2009
  28. ^ Nomination shared with Benjamin Arthur, Jesse Camacho, Wendel Meldrum, Brooke Palsson and Nancy Sorel; Canadian Comedy Awards & Festival nominees Archived June 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved July 28, 2010
  29. ^ The 9th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto — 2011 Nominees Announced (January 12, 2011); retrieved January 14, 2011. "ACTRA honours Chaykin and Wright with posthumous awards"; The Globe and Mail, retrieved February 26, 2011
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