- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJerome Bernard Orbach
- Height1.86 m
- Jerry Orbach was born in the Bronx, New York, the only child of Leon Orbach, a former vaudevillian actor, was a German Jewish immigrant, who was born in Hamburg, Germany, and Emily (nee Olexy), a radio singer, was born in Pennsylvania to immigrant Polish-Lithuanian Roman Catholic parents, Alexander Olexy and Susanna (nee Klauba). The family moved frequently. He spent part of his childhood in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and eventually settled in Waukegan, Illinois, where he went to high school.
The constant moving made him the new kid on the block and forced him to become "a chameleon" to blend in his new settings. He studied drama at the University of Illinois and at Northwestern University. He then went to study acting in New York and got constant work in musicals. He slowly pushed to get acting roles in television and films after being overlooked due to his musical roots.
Orbach died at age 69 on December 28, 2004, after a decade-long battle with prostate cancer. His widow, Elaine Cancilla Orbach died on April 1, 2009, from pneumonia. Orbach and Cancilla both predeceased Orbach's mother, Emily Orbach, who died on July 28, 2012, at the age of 101.- IMDb mini biography by: John Sacksteder/Robert Sieger
- SpousesElaine Angela Cancilla(October 7, 1979 - December 28, 2004) (his death)Martha Mingoya (Marta) Curro(June 21, 1958 - 1977) (divorced, 2 children)
- ChildrenAnthony Nicholas Orbach
- ParentsEmily OrbachLeon Orbach
- Best known for his role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in New York - Police judiciaire (1990) (as well as several spin-offs)
- Tall, slightly hunched frame
- Thick gravelly voice
- On New York, cour de justice (2005), when he was so ill that he couldn't speak above a whisper, they rewrote the scene so that he and the other characters around him all had reason to whisper (outside of a courtroom door).
- W. 53rd St. in Manhattan has been named Jerry Orbach Way.
- Jesse L. Martin performed the song "Razzle Dazzle" from the musical "Chicago" at the 2005 Tony Awards just as the "In Memoriam" section of the show was finishing. The last photo shown during the memorial was that of Orbach, who was both Martin's costar on New York - Police judiciaire (1990) and the first person to perform "Razzle Dazzle" in the original Broadway production of "Chicago".
- Was an organ donor; upon his death his eyes were made available to someone in need of new eyes.
- He appeared in 274 episodes of New York - Police judiciaire (1990), more than anyone else except for S. Epatha Merkerson and Sam Waterston.
- I used to say when I was working in the theater that if I ever had five seasons of a hit TV show I'd never have to worry about money and wouldn't have to do anything I didn't want to do . . . The 12 seasons on New York - Police judiciaire (1990) really made that possible.
- [on working on New York - Police judiciaire (1990)] It's a lot more fun for actors to cry and rant and rave, or have a drug problem or a drinking problem. Once in a while I get jealous of people who get to do real histrionics. But that's all right. That stuff's only about awards. It's not about people watching. People are very loyal to our show and they want to see the case resolved in an hour.
- It may sound a little off the wall to say this, but having the opportunity to do this in this long an arc has given me - and is continuing to give me - a feeling that I'm doing something for the city and for the people of it and for the cops. I see it every day on the street. The profile of New York - Police judiciaire (1990) has gotten bigger and bigger. And the way the city feels about us . . . it's like we're part of the good things that happen in the city.
- When I first began in this business I was doing a lot of musical theater but the problem was that people wouldn't hire me outside of that. I wasn't being taken seriously as an actor so I started taking more dramatic roles and serious acting jobs and eventually it got to the point where people were saying, "I really like his stuff. Does he sing?"
- [on why he decided to join the cast of "Law & Order" (1990)] Back in the early '60s my pal David Janssen was doing Le fugitif (1963). He used to come home eight, nine o'clock at night, having gotten up at five in the morning, have one drink and boom! He'd fall asleep on the couch and we'd carry him to bed. I told myself, "I will never do an hour drama. It's just too hard". But then, as you get older . . .
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