Actor, Comedian. After graduating from Brooklyn College, he pursued a career as a standup comedian, performing in the resort hotels of the Catskill Mountains in New York. He eventually landed several secondary roles in Broadway plays, including a part opposite Henry Fonda in the 1966 play "Generation. In the mid 1960s he released a comedy album titled "The Race! Race!" and also appeared as himself on the political satire television series "That Was The Week That Was". In 1966 he co-starred in the television situation comedy "Hey, Landlord" playing the part of a stand-up comic. Throughout the mid 1960s and early 1970s he appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson 15 times and also made several appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show and The Merv Griffin Show. He started on Broadway in 1962 doing plays like "Tchin Tchin", "Auturo Ui" & "Generation". In 1971 he starred as Lenny Bruce in the Los Angeles Stage production "Lenny", and later replaced Cliff Gorman in the same role on Broadway. The play was later turned into a movie starring Dustin Hoffman. Throughout the 1970s he guest starred in many television shows such as "Ironside", "Police Story" and "Starsky and Hutch" and in 1984 he appeared in two highly acclaimed films, "Birdy" with Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage, and the Academy Award nominated Woody Allen film "Broadway Danny Rose" in which he played himself. He was the original host of "Hollywood Squares", co-host of the "Della Reese Show", and host of several talk shows throughout the 70's and 80's including "AM New York" and "Mid-Morning LA".
In the 1990s he became widely known to a new generation for his recurring role as the cantankerous Jack Klompus on the hit television show "Seinfeld", and in 1996 he played Grandpa Munster in the made for television movie "The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas. His final role was in the 1998 motion picture "The Hi-Lo Country".
In the 1990s he became widely known to a new generation for his recurring role as the cantankerous Jack Klompus on the hit television show "Seinfeld", and in 1996 he played Grandpa Munster in the made for television movie "The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas. His final role was in the 1998 motion picture "The Hi-Lo Country".
Actor, Comedian. After graduating from Brooklyn College, he pursued a career as a standup comedian, performing in the resort hotels of the Catskill Mountains in New York. He eventually landed several secondary roles in Broadway plays, including a part opposite Henry Fonda in the 1966 play "Generation. In the mid 1960s he released a comedy album titled "The Race! Race!" and also appeared as himself on the political satire television series "That Was The Week That Was". In 1966 he co-starred in the television situation comedy "Hey, Landlord" playing the part of a stand-up comic. Throughout the mid 1960s and early 1970s he appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson 15 times and also made several appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show and The Merv Griffin Show. He started on Broadway in 1962 doing plays like "Tchin Tchin", "Auturo Ui" & "Generation". In 1971 he starred as Lenny Bruce in the Los Angeles Stage production "Lenny", and later replaced Cliff Gorman in the same role on Broadway. The play was later turned into a movie starring Dustin Hoffman. Throughout the 1970s he guest starred in many television shows such as "Ironside", "Police Story" and "Starsky and Hutch" and in 1984 he appeared in two highly acclaimed films, "Birdy" with Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage, and the Academy Award nominated Woody Allen film "Broadway Danny Rose" in which he played himself. He was the original host of "Hollywood Squares", co-host of the "Della Reese Show", and host of several talk shows throughout the 70's and 80's including "AM New York" and "Mid-Morning LA".
In the 1990s he became widely known to a new generation for his recurring role as the cantankerous Jack Klompus on the hit television show "Seinfeld", and in 1996 he played Grandpa Munster in the made for television movie "The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas. His final role was in the 1998 motion picture "The Hi-Lo Country".
In the 1990s he became widely known to a new generation for his recurring role as the cantankerous Jack Klompus on the hit television show "Seinfeld", and in 1996 he played Grandpa Munster in the made for television movie "The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas. His final role was in the 1998 motion picture "The Hi-Lo Country".
Bio by: Decal
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