Nehemiah Persoff
Biography
Nehemiah Persoff was an American actor and painter whose career across film, television and theater lasted 55 years and more than 200 productions. Born in Jerusalem in 1919 and brought to New York City as a child, he trained at the Actors Studio in 1947 under Elia Kazan and started acting in 1948 with an uncredited role in The Naked City (1948). He was known for Leo in The Harder They Fall (1956), Little Bonaparte in Some Like It Hot (1959), Jake Greasy Thumb Guzik in The Untouchables, Rebbe Mendel in Yentl (1983), and the voice of Papa Mousekewitz in An American Tail (1986) and its sequels. Other credits included Al Capone (1959), The Comancheros (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and Twins (1988), along with guest roles on series including The Twilight Zone and Gilligan's Island. He retired in 2003 to paint watercolors and published a memoir in 2021. He died in 2022.
102years old at death
- Born Jerusalem
- Died San Luis Obispo
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
Movie Career
- Films
- 23
- Career span
- 65 years1956 to 2021
Genres
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Early training
In 1947, Persoff joined the Actors Studio. Elia Kazan taught the beginners' class, which had 26 members, among them Martin Balsam, Julie Harris, Kim Hunter, Cloris Leachman and James Whitmore.
First role
Nehemiah Persoff got his start in acting with a small, uncredited part in The Naked City, a detective film from 1948 made in a documentary style.
Behind the camera
Nehemiah Persoff wrote a memoir titled The Many Faces of Nehemiah. The Autumn Road Company brought it out in July 2021.
Nehemiah Persoff movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island1998as Papa Mousekewitzvoice
IMDb rating 5.62.3K votes
Most often with
Larry Latham directed two of these films. Four actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Dom DeLuise's page
Aldo Ray's page
Pat Musick's page
Erica Yohn's page
Christopher Plummer's page
Ron Perlman's page
All films by Larry Latham
Also two films together17 more actors
- Lacey ChabertAn American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999) and An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998)
- Max von SydowVoyage of the Damned (1976) and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
- Robert RyanDay of the Outlaw (1959) and Men in War (1957)
- Rod SteigerAl Capone (1959) and The Harder They Fall (1956)
- Lee GrantBoris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster (2021) and Voyage of the Damned (1976)
- Julie HarrisVoyage of the Damned (1976) and The People Next Door (1970)
- Thomas DekkerAn American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999) and An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998)
- Amy IrvingAn American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) and Yentl (1983)
- David de KeyserYentl (1983) and Voyage of the Damned (1976)
- Harold J. StoneThe Harder They Fall (1956) and The Wrong Man (1956)
- Suzanne PleshetteThe Power (1968) and Fate Is the Hunter (1964)
- Tony JayAn American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998) and Twins (1988)
- Richard DevonThe Comancheros (1961) and The Badlanders (1958)
- Sherman HowardAn American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999) and An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998)
- Ina BalinThe Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and The Comancheros (1961)
- Al RuscioA Cry For Justice (1979) and Al Capone (1959)
- Phillip GlasserAn American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) and An American Tail (1986)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Nehemiah Persoff's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$424 million
11 of the 23 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 23 films: 11 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 11 figure not found.
- 11Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 11Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 99% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$217M51.1% of the total
- 2$85M19.9% of the total
- 3$41M9.6% of the total
- 4$30M7.2% of the total
- 5$25M5.9% of the total
- 6$16M3.7% of the total
- 7$3.5M0.8% of the total
- 8$2.5M0.6% of the total
$5.4 millionfrom the other 3 films with a worldwide figure, 1% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.