Jump to content

jerry orbach passes away


whitesoxjr27

Recommended Posts

Top Stories - AP

 

 

'Law & Order' Star Jerry Orbach Dies

 

12 minutes ago Top Stories - AP

 

 

By FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writer

 

NEW YORK - Actor Jerry Orbach, who played a sardonic, seen-it-all cop on TV's "Law & Order" and scored on Broadway as a song-and-dance man, has died of prostate cancer at 69, a representative of the show said Wednesday.

 

 

AP Photo

 

 

Reuters

Slideshow: Actor Jerry Orbach Dies at 69

 

 

 

 

Orbach died Tuesday night in Manhattan after several weeks of treatment, Audrey Davis of the public relations agency Lippin Group said.

 

 

When his illness was diagnosed, he had begun production on NBC's upcoming spinoff "Law & Order: Trial By Jury," after 12 seasons playing Detective Lennie Briscoe in the original series. His return to the new show had been expected early next year.

 

 

On Broadway, the Bronx-born Orbach starred in hit musicals including "Carnival," "Promises, Promises" (for which he won a Tony Award), "Chicago" and "42nd Street."

 

 

Earlier, he was in the original cast of the off-off-Broadway hit "The Fantasticks," playing the narrator. The show went on to run for more than 40 years.

 

 

Among his film appearances were roles in "Dirty Dancing," "Prince of the City" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors."

 

 

Orbach is expected to appear in early episodes of "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," for which he continued as Briscoe in a secondary role, when the series premieres later this season, Davis said.

 

 

"I'm immensely saddened by the passing of not only a friend and colleague, but a legendary figure of 20th Century show business," said Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of the "Law & Order" series, in a statement. "He was one of the most honored performers of his generation. His loss is irreplaceable."

 

 

In a 2000 Associated Press interview, Orbach said the role in the acclaimed "Law & Order" brought him "wonderful security" rare in the life of an actor.

 

 

"All my life, since I was 16, I've been wondering where that next job was gonna come from," he explained. "Now I take the summer off, relax, and I know that at the end of July we're gonna start another season."

 

 

He said he didn't know "where I stop and Lennie starts, really. ... I know he's tougher than me and he carries a gun. And I'm not an alcoholic."

 

 

"I know I wouldn't want to be him," Orbach sums up. "I guess THAT'S where I stop and he starts."

 

 

In 1987-88, he starred in the series "The Law and Harry McGraw," a spinoff featuring a character he created in "Murder, She Wrote." In 1990, a shot on "The Golden Girls" brought him an Emmy nomination as best guest actor in a comedy series.

 

 

"There's a pace in TV I like," he said in a 1993 interview. "I like to work fast. I don't like to dwell all day over one scene as you do in a big feature. Big feature films are another world."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a shame. Jerry Orbach was excellent. Just the other night, I caught the tail end of an episode that Det. Briscoe was apparently retiring. Referring to his last case, Briscoe said something to the effect of "It feels good to go out with a win."

 

Jerry Orbach went out as a winner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"All my life, since I was 16, I've been wondering where that next job was gonna come from," he explained. "Now I take the summer off, relax, and I know that at the end of July we're gonna start another season."

 

Seems like he's gonna be taking more than the summer off from work. /obligatory Briscoe-esque 1 liner

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This seemed appropiate...

 

Try to remember when life was so tender

that no one wept except the willow.

Try to remember when life was so tender that

dreams were kept beside your pillow.

Try to remember when life was so tender that

love was an ember about to billow.

Try to remember and if you remember then follow.

 

Deep in December it's nice to remember

although you know the snow will follow.

Deep in December it's nice to remember

without the hurt the heart is hollow.

Deep in December it's nice to remember

the fire of September that made us mellow.

Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow.

 

- El Gallo from "The Fantastiks" (Jerry originated the role)

 

Lights on Broadway will be dimmed tonight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...