

Lee J. Cobb
Birthday
December 8, 1911 (64 years)
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Known For
Acting
Biography
Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 – February 11, 1976) ) was an American actor best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men (1957), his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront, and one of his last films, 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 The Virginian. He typically played arrogant, intimidating, and abrasive characters, but often had roles as respectable figures such as judges. Born Leo Jacob in New York City, he grew up in The Bronx, before studying at New York University and making his film debut in The Vanishing Shadow (1934). Cobb performed in numerous theater productions and companies, including Group Theatre (New York) before serving in the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Force during World War II. 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.
Lee J. Cobb Movies & TV-shows on Netflix
Movies with Lee J. Cobb
12 Angry Men
Apr 10, 1957
The Exorcist
Dec 26, 1973
Our Man Flint
Jan 16, 1966
On the Waterfront
Jun 22, 1954
How the West Was Won
Nov 2, 1962
Exodus
Dec 15, 1960
Coogan's Bluff
Oct 2, 1968
Double Indemnity
Oct 13, 1973
Mackenna's Gold
Mar 18, 1969
Sirocco
Jun 13, 1951
Man of the West
Jun 20, 1958
The Song of Bernadette
Dec 21, 1943
TV shows with Lee J. Cobb
Studio One
Nov 7, 1948
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Oct 5, 1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Oct 5, 1956
Naked City
Sep 30, 1958
McCloud
Feb 17, 1970
Tony Awards
Apr 1, 1956
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Oct 6, 1958
The Ford Television Theatre
Oct 2, 1952
The Virginian
Sep 19, 1962
The Virginian
Sep 19, 1962
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Oct 4, 1963
Tales of Tomorrow
Aug 3, 1951