Born to a Jewish father and Roman Catholic mother, he was raised as a Roman Catholic. Early in his career he worked as a chauffeur for Mae West. Orbach was a prominent actor on stage and later television, becoming best known as Detective Lennie Briscoe on Dick Wolf's Law and Order.
[1] Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Manhattan, NY.
Father: Leon Orbach
Mother: Emily Olexy
Wife: Marta Curro (m. 21-Jun-1958, div. 1975, two sons)
Son: Anthony Nicholas Orbach
Son: Christopher Ben Orbach
Wife: Elaine Cancilla (dancer, m. 7-Oct-1979)
High School: (Waukegan, IL)
University: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (one year, transferred)
University: Northwestern University (one year, circa 1954)
Tony 1969 for Best Actor in a Musical Play, Promises, Promises
Wedding: Donald Trump and Marla Maples (1993)
Jewish Ancestry Paternal
Risk Factors: Prostate Cancer
TELEVISION
Law & Order Det. Lennie Briscoe (1992-2004)
House of Mouse Lumiere (2001-02)
The Law and Harry McGraw Harry MacGraw (1987-88)
Murder, She Wrote Harry McGraw (1985-91)
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
Broadway: The Golden Age (Apr-2003) · Himself
Manna From Heaven (17-Jan-2003)
The Acting Class (16-Oct-2000) · Himself
Prince of Central Park (22-Sep-2000) · Businessman
Chinese Coffee (2-Sep-2000)
Exiled (8-Nov-1998)
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (11-Nov-1997) [VOICE]
Aladdin and the King of Thieves (13-Aug-1996) [VOICE]
Mastergate (1-Nov-1992)
Mr. Saturday Night (12-Sep-1992) · Phil Gussman
Universal Soldier (10-Jul-1992) · Dr. Gregor
Straight Talk (3-Apr-1992) · Milo Jacoby
Black Death (24-Mar-1992)
Broadway Bound (23-Mar-1992)
A Gnome Named Gnorm (17-Jan-1992) · Stan
Beauty and the Beast (13-Nov-1991) [VOICE]
Delirious (9-Aug-1991) · Lou Sherwood
Delusion (7-Jun-1991)
Out for Justice (12-Apr-1991)
Dead Women in Lingerie (1991)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (13-Oct-1989) · Jack Rosenthal
Last Exit to Brooklyn (12-Oct-1989)
I Love N.Y. (1988)
Someone to Watch Over Me (9-Oct-1987)
Dirty Dancing (25-Aug-1987) · Jake Houseman
Love Among Thieves (23-Feb-1987)
Out on a Limb (18-Jan-1987)
F/X (7-Feb-1986) · Nicholas DeFranco
The Imagemaker (24-Jan-1986)
Brewster's Millions (22-May-1985) · Charley Pegler
Prince of the City (19-Aug-1981) · Gus Levy
Underground Aces (1981)
The Sentinel (7-Jan-1977) · Film Director
Foreplay (Mar-1975) · Jerry Lorsey
The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (22-Dec-1971) · Kid Sally
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (24-Mar-1965)
Mad Dog Coll (12-May-1961) · Joe
Cop Hater (1-Oct-1958) · Gang Leader -- Mumzer
AKA Jerome Bernard Orbach