Actor and Screenwriter. Leibman was born in Manhattan to Grace (née Marks), who was of Russian-Jewish descent, and Murray Leibman, a Russian Jewish immigrant. An acclaimed stage and screen actor, he was best known for his roles in "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Friends." He appeared on stage in productions of "Camino Real," "Julius Caesar, " "Richard III," and "The Merchant of Venice." His award winning performance as attorney Roy Cohn in "Angels In America: Millenium Approaches" (1993) garnered him a Tony Award. He co-wrote and starred in "Kaz," a crime drama that aired on CBS from 1978 to 1979. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for the role, but it was not enough to keep the studio from cancelling the series. He appeared on numerous television series, including "The Edge of Night," "Police Story," "Murder, She Wrote," "Law and Order," and "The Sopranos," but his most popular television role was as Dr. Leonard Green, the father of Jennifer Aniston's character, Rachel Green, on "Friends." His first film appearance was in "Where's, Poppa" (1970), and he later starred in the movies, "Slaughterhouse-Five" (1972), "Norma Rae" (1979), "Zorro: The Gay Blade" (1981); and "Rhinestone" (1984). He was married to actress Linda Lavin from 1969 to 1981. He married actress Jessica Walter in 1983, and they were frequent co-stars on stage and screen.
Actor and Screenwriter. Leibman was born in Manhattan to Grace (née Marks), who was of Russian-Jewish descent, and Murray Leibman, a Russian Jewish immigrant. An acclaimed stage and screen actor, he was best known for his roles in "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Friends." He appeared on stage in productions of "Camino Real," "Julius Caesar, " "Richard III," and "The Merchant of Venice." His award winning performance as attorney Roy Cohn in "Angels In America: Millenium Approaches" (1993) garnered him a Tony Award. He co-wrote and starred in "Kaz," a crime drama that aired on CBS from 1978 to 1979. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for the role, but it was not enough to keep the studio from cancelling the series. He appeared on numerous television series, including "The Edge of Night," "Police Story," "Murder, She Wrote," "Law and Order," and "The Sopranos," but his most popular television role was as Dr. Leonard Green, the father of Jennifer Aniston's character, Rachel Green, on "Friends." His first film appearance was in "Where's, Poppa" (1970), and he later starred in the movies, "Slaughterhouse-Five" (1972), "Norma Rae" (1979), "Zorro: The Gay Blade" (1981); and "Rhinestone" (1984). He was married to actress Linda Lavin from 1969 to 1981. He married actress Jessica Walter in 1983, and they were frequent co-stars on stage and screen.
Bio by: Apollymi
Family Members
Advertisement
