Jerry Orbach was an American actor of the stage and screen. Orbach is most known for his long-running leading role as Det. Lennie Briscoe in Law & Order from 1992 to 2004. He also made appearances on Murder, She Wrote and The Golden Girls.

He originally starred on the Broadway stage appearing in a revival of Guys and Dolls in 1965. He also starred in Carousel that same year, Annie Get Your Gun in 1966, Promises, Promises in 1968, and Chicago in 1975. Orbach also made appearances in film including small roles in Guys and Dolls (1955), Marty (1955), and Bye Bye Birdie (1963). He gained greater attention for his performances in Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City (1981), and Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). He earned affection from audiences for his roles in romantic drama Dirty Dancing (1987), and his voice role as Lumiere in the Walt Disney Animated classic Beauty and the Beast (1991).

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1955 Guys and Dolls Barbershop Extra Uncredited 1955 Marty Ballroom Extra 1958 Cop Hater Mumzer - Gang Leader 1961 Mad Dog Coll Joe Clegg 1963 Bye Bye Birdie Bob - Ed Sullivan Show Producer Uncredited 1964 Ensign Pulver Axel, cop in car 1965 John Goldfarb, Please Come Home Pinkerton 1971 The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight Salvatore "Kid Sally" Palumbo 1972 A Fan's Notes Frederick Earl Exley 1975 Fore Play Jerry Lorsey 1977 The Sentinel Michael Dayton 1981 Underground Aces Herbert Penlittle Prince of the City Detective Gus Levy 1985 Brewster's Millions Charlie Pegler 1986 The Imagemaker Byron Caine F/X Nicolas DeFranco 1987 Dirty Dancing Dr. Jake Houseman Someone to Watch Over Me Lieutenant Garber I Love N.Y. Leo 1989 Last Exit to Brooklyn Boyce Crimes and Misdemeanors Jack Rosenthal 1991 Dead Women in Lingerie Bartoli A Gnome Named Gnorm Stan Walton Out for Justice Captain Ronnie Dozinger Toy Soldiers Albert Trotta Uncredited Delusion Larry Delirious Lou Sherwood California Casanova Constantin Rominoffski Beauty and the Beast Lumière Voice 1992 Straight Talk Milo Jacoby Universal Soldier Dr. Christopher Gregor Mr. Saturday Night Phil Gussman 1993 The Cemetery Club Jake Rubin Uncredited 1996 Aladdin and the King of Thieves Sa'luk Voice, Direct-to-video 1997 Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas Lumière 1998 Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World 1999 Temps Announcer 2000 The Acting Class Elton The Road to El Dorado Mo Voice Chinese Coffee Jake Manheim Prince of Central Park Businessman 2002 Manna from Heaven Waltz Contest Announcer 2003 Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There Himself Try to Remember: The Fantasticks 2004 Protesters Police Investigator

Source: Turner Classic Movies

Television Year Title Role Notes 1961 Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life Cristoff TV movie 1967 Annie Get Your Gun Charles Davenport 1973 Love, American Style Homer Episode: "Love and the Hoodwinked Honey"1974What's My LinePanelist 1975 Medical Center Josh Episode: "The Captives" Kojak Brubaker Episode: "A Question of Answers" 1980 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Lars Mangros Episode: "Space Rockers" 1983 Ryan's Hope Mr. Brahm Airdate: March 17, 1983 The Magic of Herself the Elf King Thorn Voice, TV movie An Invasion of Privacy Sam Bianchi TV movie 1985 Our Family Honor Brian Merrick 2 episodes 1985–91 Murder, She Wrote Harry McGraw 6 episodes 1986 Dream West Capt. John Stutter Television mini-series The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers Zachary Foxx Voice 1987 Tales from the Darkside Robert Episode: "Everybody Needs a Little Love" Out on a Limb Mort Viner TV movie Love Among Thieves Spicer 1987–88 The Law & Harry McGraw Harry McGraw 16 episodes 1988 Simon & Simon Harrison / Malcolm Stanley III Episode: "Ain't Gonna Get It From Me, Jack" 1989 Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder Blaine Counter TV movie The Flamingo Kid Phil Brody 1990 Hunter Sal Scarlatti Episode: "Son and Heir" The Golden Girls Glen O'Brien Episode: "Cheaters" Who's the Boss? Nick Episode: "Starlight Memories" Dead Women in Lingerie Bartoli TV movie Kojak: None So Blind Tony Salducci In Defense of a Married Man Alan Michaelson 1991 Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter Vic St. John Law & Order Frank Lehrmann Episode: "The Wages of Love" 1992 Empty Nest Arthur 2 episodes Quiet Killer Dr. Califano Neil Simon's Broadway Bound Jack Jerome TV movie Mastergate Clifton Byers 1992–2004 Law & Order Det. Lennie Briscoe 273 episodes 1995 Captain Planet and the Planeteers Voice 1996 Frasier Mitch (voice) Episode: "High Crane Drifter" 1996–99 Homicide: Life on the Street Det. Lennie Briscoe 3 episodes 1998 Exiled: A Law & Order Movie TV movie 1999–2000 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 3 episodes 2000-02 Encounters with the Unexplained Himself, Host TV documentary 2001 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Det. Lennie Briscoe Episode: "Poison" 2001–02 Disney's House of Mouse Lumière Voice, 8 episodes 2005 Law & Order: Trial by Jury D.A. Investigator Lennie Briscoe 2 episodes; Posthumous release

Theatre Year Title Role Venue Ref. 1955–61 The Threepenny Opera Streetsinger, Smith and Macheath Theatre de Lys, NY 1960 The Fantasticks El Gallo Sullivan Street Playhouse, NY 1961–63 Carnival! Various roles Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway 1964 The Cradle Will Rock Larry Foreman Theatre Four, NY 1965 Guys and Dolls Sky Masterson City Center, Broadway Carousel Jigger Craigin New York City Center 1966 Annie Get Your Gun Charlie Davenport 1681 Broadway Theatre, Broadway 1967 The Natural Look Malcolm Longacre Theatre, Broadway Scuba Duba Harold Wonder New Theatre, NY 1968–72 Promises, Promises Chuck Baxter Shubert Theatre, Broadway 1972–73 6 Rms Riv Vu Paul Friedman Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway 1975–77 Chicago Billy Flynn 46th Street Theatre, Broadway 1980–85 42nd Street Julian Marsh St. James Theatre, Broadway

Other

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2000 Disney's Beauty and the Beast Magical Ballroom Lumière Voice 2002 Law & Order: Dead on the Money Det. Lennie Briscoe 2003 Law & Order: Double or Nothing 2004 Law & Order: Justice Is Served Senior Homicide Detective Lennie Briscoe (voice)

Theme park Year Title Role 2003 Mickey's PhilharMagic Lumière

References