Jack Klugman

Jack Klugman
Klugman in November 2009
Born	Jacob Joachim Klugman (1922-04-27)April 27, 1922 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	December 24, 2012(2012-12-24) (aged 90) Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S
Cause of death	Prostate Cancer
Resting place	Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Carnegie Mellon University
Years active	1950–2012
Spouse(s)	Brett Somers (m. 1953–2007)(her death) Peggy Crosby (m. 2008–12)
Children	Adam Klugman David Klugman
Awards	Emmy Award (1964, 1971, 1973) Golden Globe Award (1974)

Jacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman (April 27, 1922 – December 24, 2012) was an American stage, film and television actor.

Klugman began his career in 1950. He later moved on to 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 1970, Klugman reprised his Broadway role of Oscar Madison 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.

A longtime smoker, Klugman was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1974. The cancer returned in 1989. During the course of treatment, Klugman lost a vocal cord which left him with a raspy voice.

Klugman married actress Brett Somers in 1953. The couple had two children before separating in 1974. They never divorced and were still married when Somers died in 2007. He married Peggy Crosby, with whom he had lived since 1988, the following year.

Early life

Klugman was born in Philadelphia, the son of Rose, a hat maker, and Max Klugman, a house painter. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants, though the family name is German in origin. He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, from which he graduated in 1948. 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".

Klugman served in the United States Army during World War II. After the war, he pursued acting roles while living in New York City with fellow actor Charles Bronson.

Career

1950s and 1960s

During the 1950s and 1960s, Klugman was active in numerous stage, television and film productions. In 1950, he had a small role in the Mr. Roberts road company at the Colonial Theatre in Boston. Later that same year, he made his television debut in an episode of Actors Studio. In March 1952, Klugman made his Broadway debut in Golden Boy, as Frank Bonaparte.

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. Klugman went on to star in several classic films, including 12 Angry Men (1957) as juror #5. Of the 12 actors to play a juror in the film, Klugman was the last survivor. In 1959, he returned to Broadway in the original production of Gypsy: A Musical Fable. In 1960, he 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 The Twilight Zone series: "A Passage for Trumpet" (1960), "A Game of Pool" (1961), "Death Ship" (1963), and "In Praise of Pip" (1963). Klugman tied with Burgess Meredith for the most appearances in a starring role on the series. In 1964, Klugman won his first Primetime Emmy Award for his guest starring role on The Defenders. That same year, Klugman landed the starring role in the sitcom 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 canceled due to low ratings the following year.

Klugman continued the decade with multiple guest roles on television including The F.B.I., Ben Casey, The Name of the Game, and Insight. He also appeared on Broadway in Tchin-Tchin, from October 1962 to May 1963.

The Odd Couple

Klugman (right) with Tony Randall in the publicity photo of The Odd Couple, 1972

In 1965, Klugman replaced Walter Matthau in the lead role of Oscar Madison in the original Broadway production of The Odd Couple. He reprised the role when the play was adapted as a television series which premiered on ABC in 1970. Over the course of the show's five-year, 114-episode run, Klugman won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the series. The series ended in 1975.

In 1973, during the run of the show, Klugman and Odd Couple co-star Tony Randall recorded an album titled The Odd Couple Sings for London Records. Roland Shaw and The London Festival Orchestra and Chorus provided the music and additional vocals.

1970s and 1980s

Following the end of The Odd Couple, Klugman returned to television in 1976 in Quincy, M.E. on NBC. Klugman portrayed Dr. Quincy, a forensic pathologist who worked for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office and solved crimes. He was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the series and also wrote four episodes. Quincy aired for a total of 148 episodes over seven seasons, ending in 1983.

In 1986, Klugman starred in the sitcom You Again?, co-starring John Stamos as Klugman's character's son. The series aired on NBC for two seasons before being canceled. During the show's run, Klugman also appeared on Broadway in I'm Not Rappaport. The show closed in 1988. The following year, he co-starred in the television miniseries Around the World in 80 Days.

1990s to 2010s

In 1989, Klugman's throat cancer (with which he was first diagnosed in 1974) returned. His illness sidelined his career for the next four years. He returned to acting in a 1993 Broadway revival of Three Men on a Horse. That same year, he reunited with Tony Randall in the television film The Odd Couple: Together Again. The next year, Klugman co-starred in the television film Parallel Lives.

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 spots on Diagnosis Murder. He also starred in The Outer Limits episode "Glitch", and appeared in an episode of the TV series Crossing Jordan. In 1997 Klugman starred in the Broadway revival of The Sunshine Boys, his last stage production.

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. Klugman, who liked the same New York Mets whose cap he wore as Oscar Madison, started an MLB.com PRO Blog called Klugman's Korner to talk baseball and Randall.

Klugman in August 2005

In 2008, he sued NBC Television concerning missing profits from his show Quincy M.E. The lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court, with Klugman requesting NBC to show him the original contract. Klugman stated that his production company, Sweater Productions, should have received 25 percent 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.

Personal life

Marriages and children

Klugman was the father of two children: Adam Klugman (who had a cameo as Oscar Madison as a child in a flashback on The Odd Couple) and David, both from his marriage to Brett Somers. Klugman and Somers were married in 1953 and were legally separated in 1974, although they never divorced. They remained married until her death from cancer in 2007 at age 83.

Klugman began living with Peggy Crosby, ex-wife of Phillip Crosby, in 1988. They married in February 2008, shortly after Brett Somers' death.

Health issues

Klugman was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1974. In 1989, he lost a vocal cord to cancer, 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.

Hobbies

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 in his life.

Death

Klugman died at the age of 90 in Woodland Hills, California from prostate cancer, on December 24, 2012. The New York Times referred to him and actor Charles Durning, who died the same day, as "extraordinary actors ennobling the ordinary". The Huffington Post compared the two men, calling them "character actor titans".

Broadway credits

Date	Production	Role
March 12 – April 6, 1952	Golden Boy	Frank Bonaparte
November 14–17, 1956	A Very Special Baby	Carmen
May 21, 1959 – March 25, 1961	Gypsy: A Musical Fable	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
November 19, 1985 – January 17, 1988	I'm Not Rappaport	Nat (Replacement)
April 13 – May 16, 1993	Three Men on a Horse	Patsy
December 8, 1997 – June 28, 1998	The Sunshine Boys	Willie Clark

TV Appearances, Naked City. Episode: "King Stanislaus and the Knights of the Round Stable"

Selected filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1952	Grubstake		Alternative title: Apache Gold
1956	Time Table	Frankie Page
1957	12 Angry Men	Juror #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
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

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1950	Suspense	Louie	Episode: "Murder at the Mardi Gras"
1953	Colonel Humphrey Flack		2 episodes
1954	Rocky King, Inside Detective		Episode: "Return for Death"
1954	Inner Sanctum	Various roles	3 episodes
1954–1956	Justice		3 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	Episode: "Mail Order Prophet"
1958	Gunsmoke	Earl Ticks	Episode: "Buffalo Man"
1958	General Electric Theater	Murphy	Episode: "The Young and Scared"
1957	General Electric Theater	Peter Tong	Episode: "A New Girl In His Life"
1959	The Walter Winchell File	Allie Sunshine	Episode: "Death Comes in a Small Package: File #37"
1960–1963	The Twilight Zone		4 episodes
1961	Follow the Sun	Steve Bixel	Episode: "Busman's Holiday"
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"
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"
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"
1964–1965	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	I Dream of Jeannie	Helicopter Rescuer	Episode: "The Lady In the Bottle" Uncredited
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	The Bold Ones: The New Doctors	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.	148 episodes
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	Shining Time Station: Second Chances	Max Okowsky	Television film
1994	Parallel Lives	Senator Robert Ferguson	Television film
1997	Diagnosis: Murder	Dr. Jeff Everden	Episode: "Physician, Murder Thyself"
1999	Diagnosis: Murder	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

Year	Award	Category	Title of work
1974	Golden Globe Award	Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy	The Odd Couple
1964	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role	The Defenders (For episode: "Blacklist")
1971	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series	The Odd Couple
1973	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series	The Odd Couple
2004	TV Land Award	Quintessential Non-Traditional Family	The Odd Couple (Shared with Tony Randall)

External links

• Jack Klugman at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jack Klugman at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Jack Klugman at the Internet Movie Database
• Jack Klugman profile
• Jack Klugman's Blog
• Jack Klugman – Jack Klugman Informationscenter Europe
• Jack Klugman Radio Interview w/Doug Miles Part 1 on YouTube
• Jack Klugman Radio interview w/Doug Miles Part 2
• The Odd Couple: A Hot Tip at Sportsillustrated.cnn.com
• Jack Klugman interview at Archive of American Television