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Jack Klugman (April 27, 1922 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor of stage, film, and television.
He began his career in 1949 and started television and film work with roles in 12 Angry Men (1957) and Cry Terror! (1958). During the 1960s, he guest-starred on numerous television series. Klugman won his first Primetime Emmy Award for his guest-starring role on The Defenders in 1964. He also made a total of four appearances on The Twilight Zone from 1960 to 1963. In 1965, Klugman replaced Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison in the Broadway theatre play The Odd Couple. Five years later, he reprised that role in the television adaptation of The Odd Couple opposite Tony Randall. The series aired from 1970 to 1975. Klugman won his second and third Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for his work on the series. From 1976 to 1983, he starred in the title role in Quincy, M.E., for which he earned four Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh. While there, his drama teacher told him, "Young man, you are not suited to be an actor. You are suited to be a truck driver." After the war, he pursued acting roles in New York City while sharing an apartment with friend, and fellow veteran turned actor, Charles Bronson.
In 1954, he played Jim Hanson on the soap opera The Greatest Gift. The following year, he appeared in the live television broadcast of Producers' Showcase in the episode "The Petrified Forest" with Humphrey Bogart and Henry Fonda. Klugman later said the experience was the greatest thrill of his career. He went on to appear in several classic films, including as juror number five in 12 Angry Men (1957), of which he was the last surviving cast member. In 1959, he returned to Broadway in the original production of . In 1960, Klugman was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor (Musical) for his role in the show but lost to Tom Bosley in Fiorello!. He remained with Gypsy until it closed in March 1961.
From 1960 to 1963, Klugman appeared in four episodes of The Twilight Zone series: "A Passage for Trumpet" (1960), "A Game of Pool" (1961), "Death Ship" (1963), and "In Praise of Pip" (1963), tying Burgess Meredith for the most appearances in a starring role on the series. In 1964, he won his first Primetime Emmy Award for his guest-starring role on The Defenders. The same year, Klugman was cast in the starring role in the situation comedy Harris Against the World. The series was a part of an experimental block of sitcoms that aired on NBC entitled 90 Bristol Court. Harris Against the World, along with the other sitcoms that aired in the block, were cancelled the following year due to low ratings.
Klugman continued the decade with multiple guest roles on television, including appearances on The F.B.I., Ben Casey, The Name of the Game, The Fugitive, and Insight. He also appeared on Broadway in Tchin-Tchin from October 1962 to May 1963. From 1960 to 1963, Klugman appeared in two episodes of the series The Untouchables: "Loophole" (1961) and "An Eye for an Eye" (1963).
In 1993, he appeared on a special "celebrity versus regulars" version of the British quiz show Going for Gold, emerging as the series winner.
In 1996, he co-starred in The Twilight of the Golds and the comedy film Dear God. He resumed his television career with guest appearances on . He also starred in The Outer Limits episode "Glitch" and appeared in an episode of the TV series Crossing Jordan. Klugman starred in both the 1997 Broadway revival and the 2007 off-Broadway revival of The Sunshine Boys.
In 2005, Klugman co-starred in the comedy film When Do We Eat?. That same year, he published Tony and Me: A Story of Friendship, a book about his long friendship with his The Odd Couple co-star Tony Randall. Klugman gave the eulogy at Randall's memorial service in 2004. A fan of the New York Mets (whose cap he wore as Oscar Madison), Klugman started an MLB.com PRO Blog called Klugman's Korner to talk about baseball and Randall.
In 2008, he sued NBC Television over missing profits from his show Quincy M.E. The lawsuit was filed in California state court, with Klugman requesting NBC to show him the original contract. Klugman argued that his production company, Sweater Productions, should have received 25% of the show's net profits. NBC Universal and Klugman settled the lawsuit on undisclosed terms in August 2010.
His last on-screen role was in the 2010 horror film Camera Obscura. Klugman was originally supposed to play Juror #9 in a stage production of Twelve Angry Men at the George Street Playhouse that was set to open on March 13, 2012. However, he had to withdraw from the production because of illness.
Klugman's 18-year relationship with actress Barbara Neugass ended in 1992 and led to a palimony suit that Neugass ultimately lost.
Klugman began living with Peggy Crosby in 1988. They married in February 2008, shortly after Somers’ death.
In the 1980s, Klugman licensed his name for use by a popcorn franchise named "Jack's Corn Crib".
Personal life
Marriage and children
Klugman married actress Brett Somers in 1953. The couple had two children, Adam Klugman (who had a cameo as Oscar Madison as a child in two flashbacks on The Odd Couple) and David. He had a stepdaughter, Leslie Klein, from Somers's first marriage. (Klein was married to Jim Fyfe, an actor and theater director.) The couple separated in 1974 and divorced in August 1977; they did not make their divorce public. In 2007, Somers died from cancer at age 83. Because Klugman did not remarry until after Somers died (nor did Somers ever remarry), it was erroneously reported that the two had remained married but separated for the rest of Somers's life. "Jack Klugman dies". CNN. December 24, 2012; accessed July 9, 2015.
Business interests
Klugman was an avid Thoroughbred racing fan. He owned Jaklin Klugman, who finished third in the 1980 Kentucky Derby behind the great filly Genuine Risk and Grade 1 stakes winner Akinemod. Klugman said Jaklin Klugman's success was the biggest thrill of his life. His farm where he kept up to 100 horses was called El Rancho De Jaklin, named after his horse.
Health
Klugman was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1974. In 1988, he lost a vocal cord to throat cancer surgery but continued to act on stage and television, though he was left with a quiet, raspy voice. In later years subsequent to his operation, he regained limited strength in his voice.
Death
Klugman died from prostate cancer at his home in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles on December 24, 2012, aged 90. A New York Times profile described him as an "extraordinary actor ennobling the ordinary." His obituary in the Huffington Post referred to him as a "character actor titan." Klugman's ashes are interred in a columbarium at Westwood Memorial Park cemetery in Los Angeles.
Stage credits
March 12 – April 6, 1952 Golden Boy Frank Bonaparte November 14 – 17, 1956 A Very Special Baby Carmen May 21, 1959 – March 25, 1961 Herbie Apr 22, 1963 – May 18, 1963 Tchin-Tchin Caesario Grimaldi (Replacement) November 8, 1965 – July 2, 1967 The Odd Couple Oscar Madison (Replacement) December 18, 1968 – December 21, 1968 The Sudden & Accidental Re-Education of Horse Johnson Horse Johnson February 26, 1984 – March 11, 1984 Lyndon Lyndon B. Johnson November 19, 1985 – January 17, 1988 I'm Not Rappaport Nat Moyer (Replacement) April 13 – May 16, 1993 Three Men on a Horse Patsy December 8, 1997 – June 28, 1998 The Sunshine Boys Willie Clark
Filmography
+Film 1952 Grubstake Alternative title: Apache Gold 1956 Time Table Frankie Page 1957 12 Angry Men Juror No. 5 1958 Cry Terror! Vince, a thug 1962 Days of Wine and Roses Jim Hungerford 1963 I Could Go On Singing George 1963 The Yellow Canary Lt. Bonner 1963 Act One Joe Hyman 1965 Hail, Mafia Phil Alternative title: Je vous salue, mafia! 1968 The Detective Dave Schoenstein 1968 The Split Harry Kifka 1969 Goodbye, Columbus Ben Patimkin 1971 Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! Barney Morovitz 1976 Two-Minute Warning Sandman 1996 The Twilight of the Golds Mr. Stein 1996 Dear God Jemi 2005 When Do We Eat? Artur 2010 Camera Obscura Sam (final film role) + Television 1950 Suspense Louie Episode: "Murder at the Mardi Gras" 1953 Colonel Humphrey Flack 2 episodes 1954 Rocky King Detective Episode: "Return for Death" 1954 Inner Sanctum Various roles 3 episodes 1954–1956 Justice 4 episodes 1955 Producers' Showcase Jackie Episode: "The Petrified Forest" 1955 Treasury Men in Action Episode: "The Case of the Betrayed Artist" 1955–1956 Goodyear Television Playhouse 2 episodes 1955–1956 Armstrong Circle Theatre 2 episodes 1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents George Benedict Season 3 Episode 2: "Mail Order Prophet" 1957 General Electric Theater Peter Tong Episode: "A New Girl In His Life" 1958 Gunsmoke Earl Ticks Episode: "Buffalo Man" 1958 General Electric Theater Murphy Episode: "The Young and Scared" 1958 Kiss Me, Kate Gunman Television film 1959 The Walter Winchell File Allie Sunshine Episode: "Death Comes in a Small Package: File #37" 1959 Naked City Mike Greco ABC-TV,
S1-Ep 19: "The Shield"1960–1963 The Twilight Zone Joey Crown,
Jesse Cardiff,
Captain Ross,
Max PhillipsEpisode #32: "A Passage for Trumpet"
Episode #70: "A Game of Pool"
Episode #108: "Death Ship"
Episode #121: "In Praise of Pip"1961 Follow the Sun Steve Bixel Episode: "Busman's Holiday" 1961 Otto Dutch Kleberg, Greg Paulson 1x02 Pier 60, 1x18 Chase the Dragon 1961 Straightaway Buddy Conway Episode: "Die Laughing" 1962 The New Breed Floyd Blaylock Episode: "All the Dead Faces" 1962 Cain's Hundred Mike Colonni Episode: "Women of Silure" 1962 Naked City Peter Kannick Episode: "King Stanislaus and the Knights of the Round Stable" 1963 The Untouchables Solly Girsch Episode: "An Eye for An Eye" 1963 Naked City Arthur Crews Episode: "Stop the Parade! A Baby Is Crying!" 1963 Arrest and Trial Celina Episode: "The Quality of Justice" 1963 The Fugitive Buck Harmon Episode: "Terror at High Point", Season 1, Episode 13 1964 The Virginian Charles Mayhew Episode: "Roar from the Mountain" 1964 The Defenders Joe Larch Episode: "Blacklist" 1964 The Great Adventure John Brown Episode: "The Night Raiders" 1964 Insight Carny Episode: "The Kid Show" 1964–1965 Harris Against the World Alan Harris 13 episodes 1965 Kraft Suspense Theatre Ozzie Keefer Episode: "Won't It Ever Be Morning? " 1965 Ben Casey Dr. Bill Justin Episode: "A Slave Is on the Throne" 1965 The Fugitive Gus Hendricks Episode: "Everybody Gets Hit in the Mouth Sometimes", Season 2, Episode 24 1965 Insight Weiss Episode: "The Prisoner" 1966 Fame Is the Name of the Game Ben Welcome Television film 1967 Garrison's Gorillas Gus Manners Episode: "Banker's Hours" 1969 Then Came Bronson Dr. Charles Hanrahan Episode: "The Runner" 1970 Leland Rogers Episode: "The Diamond Millstone" 1970 The Name of the Game Captain Garrig Episode: "The Time Is Now" 1970–1975 The Odd Couple Oscar Madison 114 episodes 1972 Banyon Episode: "The Lady Killers" 1973 Poor Devil Burnett J. Emerson Television film 1974 The Underground Man Sheriff Tremaine Television film 1976 One of My Wives Is Missing Inspector Murray Levine Television film 1976–1983 Quincy, M.E. Dr. R. Quincy, M.E. 147 episodes 1979 Password Plus Himself Game Show Participant / Celebrity Guest Star 1979 Insight Packy Rowe Episode: "Rebirth of Packy Rowe" 1986–1987 You Again? Henry Willows 26 episodes 1989 Around the World in 80 Days Capt. Bunsby Miniseries 1993 The Odd Couple Together Again Oscar Madison Television film 1994 Parallel Lives Senator Robert Ferguson Television film 1995 Shining Time Station: Second Chances Max Okowsky Television film 1997 Dr. Jeff Everden Episode: "Physician, Murder Thyself" 1999 Lt. Harry Trumble Episode: "Voices Carry" 1999 Brother's Keeper Jack Episode: "An Odd Couple of Days" 2000 The Outer Limits Joe Walker Episode: "Glitch" 2000 Third Watch Stan Brandolini Episode: "Run of the Mill" 2002 Crossing Jordan Dr. Leo Gelber Episode: "Someone to Count On"
Awards and nominations
1969 British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Goodbye, Columbus 1971 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy The Odd Couple 1973 1964 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The Defenders 1971 Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series The Odd Couple 1972 1973 1974 Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 1975 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 1977 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Quincy, M.E. 1978 1979 1980 1960 Tony Awards Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical Gypsy 2004 TV Land Awards Quintessential Non-Traditional Family The Odd Couple
External links
Categories: 1922 Births, 2012 Deaths, 20th-century American Male Actors, 21st-century American Male Actors, American Male Film Actors, United States Army Personnel Of World War Ii, American People Of Russian-jewish Descent, American Racehorse Owners And Breeders, American Male Screenwriters, American Male Stage Actors, American Male Television Actors, Best Musical Or Comedy Actor Golden Globe Winners, Burials At Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Carnegie Mellon University College Of Fine Arts Alumni, Comedians From Philadelphia, Deaths From Prostate Cancer In California, Jewish American Male Actors, Male Actors From Philadelphia, People From Rockland County, New York, United States Army Soldiers, Jewish American Military Personnel, Screenwriters From New York, American Male Comedians, Jewish American Comedians
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