Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 — February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his performances in On the Waterfront (1954), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, 12 Angry Men (1957), and The Exorcist (1973). He also played the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan. On television, Cobb costarred in the first four seasons of the popular, long-running western series T
Following the war, Cobb returned to film, television and theater before being accused of being a Communist in 1951 testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee by Larry Parks, himself a former Communist Party member. Cobb was called to testify before HUAC but refused to do so for two years until, with his career threatened by the blacklist, he relented in 1953 and gave testimony in which he named 20 people as former members of the Communist Party USA. Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses", on the 1954 film On the Waterfront, which is widely seen as an allegory and apologia for testifying. His 1968 performance as King Lear achieved the longest run (72 performances) for the play in Broadway history. One of his final film roles was that of police detective Lt. Kinderman in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist.
Cobb died of a heart attack in February 1976 in Woodland Hills, California, and was buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was survived by his second wife, Mary Hirsch, and daughter, also an accomplished actress, Julie Cobb.
Born
Dec 08, 1911
New York City, New York, USA
Died
Feb 11, 1976
Known For
Acting
Movies
85 acting
0 crew
Popularity
2.0
Known For
12 Angry Men
1957
as Juror 3
The Exorcist
1973
as Lt. Bill Kinderman
On the Waterfront
1954
as Johnny Friendly
How the West Was Won
1962
as Marshal Lou Ramsey
Coogan's Bluff
1968
as Lt. McElroy
Mackenna's Gold
1969
as The Editor
Exodus
1960
as Barak Ben Canaan
Lawman
1971
as Vincent Bronson
The Three Faces of Eve
1957
as Doctor Curtis Luther
The Song of Bernadette
1943
as Dr. Dozous
Add to Watchlist
Movie will be added to your watchlist