Ron Leibman (; October 11, 1937 – December 6, 2019) was an American actor. He won both the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play in 1993 for his performance as Roy Cohn in Angels in America. Leibman also won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1979 for his role as Martin 'Kaz' Kazinsky in his short-lived crime drama series Kaz.
Leibman appeared in films such as Where's Poppa? (1970), The Hot Rock (1972), Norma Rae (1979), and Zorro, The Gay Blade (1981). Later in his career, he became widely known for his recurring role as Dr. Leonard Green on Friends (1994–2004), and for providing the voice of Ron Cadillac on Archer (2013–2016).
Early life Leibman was born October 11, 1937, in Manhattan to Grace (née Marks), who was of Russian-Jewish descent, and Murray Leibman, a Russian-Jewish immigrant who worked in the garment business. Leibman graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University.
Career Leibman was a member of the Compass Players in the late 1950s, and he was admitted to the Actors Studio shortly thereafter.
Leibman made his film debut alongside George Segal in the dark comedy Where's Poppa? (1970). He then starred alongside Robert Redford and Segal in the heist film The Hot Rock (1972) and he was featured as a northern Jewish union organizer in the award-winning film Norma Rae (1979). In 1980, he starred in Up The Academy, a "gross-out" comedy set at a reform school and produced by Mad magazine. (Reaction to the film was so poor that it was repudiated by both Mad and Leibman himself, who had his name expunged from the credits and promotional material.)
His other film appearances include Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), Your Three Minutes Are Up (1973) with Beau Bridges and Janet Margolin, Zorro, The Gay Blade (1981), Auto Focus (2002) and Garden State (2004). A TV movie role of Leibman's was the 1988 legal thriller Terrorist On Trial where he plays a Jewish lawyer who defends an Arab defendant accused of a terrorist attack in Spain and extracted to Virginia. Leibman costars in that with Robert Davi as the defendant, and Sam Waterston as the prosecuting attorney. It may be found as In The Hands Of The Enemy.
Leibman won an Emmy Award, Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series, in 1979"Ron Leibman Emmy". Television Academy. Retrieved February 19, 2018. for his convict-turned-lawyer character in Kaz (1978–79), a series which he also created and co-wrote.Kaz. TV Guide. Retrieved February 18, 2018. He was later nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for the role of Morris Huffner in Christmas Eve.
He co-starred with his second wife, Jessica Walter, in Tartuffe at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in 1986,Arkatov, Janice (July 15, 1986). " 'Tartuffe' Stars Aren't Just Acting As A Couple". Los Angeles Times. and they co-starred again in Neil Simon's play Rumors in 1988 on Broadway."Rumors". Playbill. Retrieved February 18, 2018. They also appeared together as husband and wife in the film Dummy (2003)"Dummy". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 18, 2018. and in the TV series Law & Order in the episode "House Counsel" in 1995."'Law & Order', Season 5, Episode 10". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
Leibman received a 1993 Tony Award for his performance as Roy Cohn in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America."Angels in America: Millennium Approaches". Playbill. Retrieved February 18, 2018.Lefkowitz, David (December 21, 1999). "Playbill On-Line's Brief Encounter with Ron Leibman". Playbill.
He played Dr. Leonard Green, Rachel Green's overbearing father, on the sitcom Friends. He had a recurring role on The Sopranos as Dr. Plepler."Ron Leibman Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved February 18, 2018. In 1983, Leibman starred in the Australian film Phar Lap as David J. Davis, the owner of legendary New Zealand/Australian racehorse Phar Lap,"Phar Lap". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 18, 2018. which won the 1930 Melbourne Cup and the 1932 Agua Caliente Handicap.
In 2013, Leibman began appearing as a recurring character on the TV series Archer as Ron Cadillac, the husband to Malory Archer, voiced by his real-life wife Jessica Walter.
From 2005 until his death, Leibman taught at The New School for Drama in New York City.
Personal life Leibman was married twice. His first wife was actress Linda Lavin, to whom he was married from 1969 to 1981.Bosworth, Patricia (May 31, 1970). "Ron Lunt and Linda Fontanne?". The New York Times. In 1983, he married actress Jessica Walter. They remained married until his death in 2019.
Death Leibman died from complications of pneumonia in Manhattan on December 6, 2019, at age 82.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1970Where's Poppa?Sidney HocheiserFilm debut1972The Hot RockMurch1972Slaughterhouse-FivePaul Lazzaro1973Your Three Minutes Are UpMikeAmerican version of the classic Il Sorpasso (1962)1974The Super CopsDavid Greenberg1976Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved HollywoodRudy Montague1979Norma RaeReuben1980Up the AcademyMajor Vaughn LicemanUncreditedNominated – The Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Supporting Actor1981Zorro: The Gay BladeEstebanThe Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Supporting ActorThe Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst On-Screen Couple (shared with Brenda Vaccaro)1983Phar LapDave Davis1983Romantic ComedyLeo1984Door to DoorLarry Price1984RhinestoneFreddie UgoNominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor1988Seven Hours to JudgmentDavid Reardon1996Night Falls on ManhattanMorgenstern1999Just the TicketBarry the Book2002Personal VelocityArvam HerskowitzAlso known as Personal Velocity: Three Portraits2002DummyLou2002Auto FocusLenny2004Garden StateDr. Cohen2010A Little HelpWarren Dunning
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1963The DuPont Show of the WeekCarmattiEpisode: "Ride with Terror"1963Ride with TerrorCarmattiTelevision film1964The Edge of NightJohnnyTelevision debut1966HawkEddie TollEpisode: "The Man Who Owned Everyone"1975The Art of CrimeRoman GreyTelevision film1975Police StoryRay OberstarEpisode: "Vice: 24 Hours"1977Martinelli, Outside ManRichie MartinelliTelevision film1978A Question of GuiltDetective Louis KazinskyTelevision film1978–79KazMartin 'Kaz' KazinskySeries regular / also writer; 23 episodesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series1980Linda in WonderlandGuestMusical variety television special 1981Rivkin: Bounty HunterRivkinTelevision film1985Comedy StoryJoey CarusoEpisode: "Side by Side", also writer1986Many Happy ReturnsJerry BrennerTelevision film1986Christmas EveMorris HuffnerTelevision filmNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television1987ABC Afterschool SpecialsSam GreeneEpisode: "Class Act: A Teacher's Story"1988Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Sam AjamiSimon ResnickTelevision film; aka Hostile Witness1988Aaron's WayUnknownEpisode: "The Men Will Cheer and the Boys Will Shout"1990–92Murder, She WroteDarryl Heyward / Roland Trent2 episodes1991–92Pacific StationDetective Al BurkhardtSeries regular; 13 episodes1992Fish PoliceVoice, episode: "The Codfather"1995DuckmanGeofredoVoice, Episode: "Papa Oom M.O.W. M.O.W."1995–96Central Park WestAllen RushVoice, 21 episodes1995–2000Law & OrderBarry Nathanson / Mark Paul Kopell2 episodes1996–2004FriendsDr. Leonard GreenRecurring role; 4 episodes 1996RugratsRabbi / Old ManVoice, episode: "Chanukah"1997Don King: Only in AmericaHarry ShondorTelevision film1998–2002Holding the BabyStan PetersonSeries regular; 13 episodes2001Law & Order: Special Victims UnitStan VillaniRecurring role; 4 episodes2003The PracticeAttorney Robert ColbyEpisode: "Concealing Evidence"2006The SopranosDr. Lior PleplerRecurring role; 3 episodes2013–16ArcherRon CadillacVoice, recurring role; 9 episodes
Stage YearTitleRoleNotes1959Camino RealKilroy1959Legend of LoversOrpheus1959A View From the BridgeRudolfo1960Dead EndUnknown1960The PremiseUnknown1963Dear Me, The Sky is FallingPeter Nemo1963Bicycle Ride to NevadaRip Calabria1964The DeputyCaptain Slazer316 performances1965The MisanthropeAlceste1965Uncle VanyaAstrov1965End GameClov1965The CriticMr. Puff1965GalileoUnknown1966–67Room ServiceGordon Miller1967The Poker SessionTeddy1967–68Prometheus BoundHermes1967–68VolponeMosca1967–68The Three SistersSolyony1968We Bombed in New HavenSergeant Henderson85 performances1968Long Day's Journey into NightUnknown1969Cop-OutPerformer 1970Room ServiceGordon Miller1970TransfersPerformer1975Love TwoPerformer1976Rich and FamousVarious Roles1976Julius CaesarCassius1977Richard III Richard III1980–81I Ought to Be in PicturesHerb324 performances1982Children of DarknessCount LaRuse1983Don PasqualeDon Pasquale1985DoublesLennie277 performances1986TartuffeTartuffe1988–90RumorsLenny Ganz535 performances1993Angels in America: Millennium ApproachesRoy CohnDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a PlayTony Award for Best Actor in a Play1994Angels in America: PerestroikaNominated – Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play1995The Merchant of VeniceShylockNominated – Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play1998A Dybbuk, or Between Two WorldsRabbi AzrielNominated – Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play1999–2000Adam BaumSam Baum2001A Connecticut YankeeLauncelot2002God of VengeanceJack Chapman
References
External links
Ron Leibman at School of Drama (The New School) Ron Leibman at the University of Wisconsin's Actors Studio audio collection
Metadata
Ron Leibman at AboutTheArtists