Judd Hirsch


Judd Seymore Hirsch is an American actor known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi, John Lacey on the NBC series Dear John, and Alan Eppes on the CBS series Numb3rs. He is also well known for his career in theatre and for his roles in films such as Ordinary People, Running on Empty, Independence Day, and A Beautiful Mind.
He has twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Early life and education

Hirsch was born in The Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, the son of Sally and Joseph Sidney Hirsch, an electrician. Hirsch's father was born in New York, to a German-Jewish father, Benjamin Hirsch, and an English-born mother, Rosa Hirsch Benjamin, whose family were Dutch Jews. Hirsch's mother was born in Russia, also to a Jewish family. Hirsch has a brother named Roland.
He grew up in both Brooklyn and The Bronx and graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1952. He earned a degree in physics from City College of New York.
After graduating from college, Hirsch served a tour in the United States Army. Hirsch then worked as an engineer for Westinghouse before he found work in the theater. He studied acting at HB Studio in New York City.
as the co-hosts of Small Miracles, a series by Moshe Mones

Career

Over the last several decades, Hirsch has distinguished himself in film, television, and theatre. The Los Angeles Times noted that Hirsch is "one of the very few actors who slips effortlessly from TV series to Broadway to feature films and back again, racking up awards and favorable reviews wherever he performs."
After appearing frequently on television in the 1970s, Hirsch gained stardom for his lead role of Alex Rieger in the popular sitcom Taxi, which ran from 1978 to 1983. For his performance in the series, in 1981 and again in 1983, Judd Hirsch won the Emmy Award for Lead Actor In a Comedy Series. In 1999, he reprised his role from Taxi for a brief moment in Man on the Moon, the biopic of his co-star from Taxi, Andy Kaufman.
Hirsch went on from Taxi to play the title character on the modestly successful sitcom Dear John and in 1989 won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series in a Comedy or Musical for this role. He later teamed with Bob Newhart in the short-lived comedy George and Leo. He had also previously starred for one season in the series Delvecchio.
In film, Hirsch received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Ordinary People, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture that year. His other film performances from the decade include leading roles in the 1983 drama Without a Trace, the 1984 dramedies, Teachers and The Goodbye People, and the 1988 drama Running on Empty, directed by Sidney Lumet and co-starring River Phoenix. In 1996, Hirsch portrayed the father of Jeff Goldblum's character in the blockbuster Independence Day, a role that he later reprised in its 2016. In 2001, he played a Princeton University professor in the Academy Award-winning film A Beautiful Mind. Hirsch has more recently had supporting roles in acclaimed films such as The Meyerowitz Stories and Uncut Gems.
Hirsch co-starred on the CBS Television drama, NUMB3RS, as Alan Eppes, father of FBI agent Don Eppes, and Professor Charlie Eppes. When Krumholtz was 13, he played son to Hirsch's father role in Conversations with My Father, a Herb Gardner play for which Hirsch won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. Krumholtz credits Hirsch with jump-starting his career after Hirsch chose him during the audition process for Conversations. Other noteworthy stage performances include The Hot l Baltimore, Talley's Folly, and his starring role in I'm Not Rappaport, for which Hirsch also won a Tony Award in 1986.
More recently, Hirsch guest-starred on episodes of Warehouse 13, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, , God Friended Me, and The Whole Truth, among others, and lent his voice to the animated programs Tom Goes to the Mayor and American Dad! Judd has also appeared several times on the television show Maron as comedian Marc Maron's father and has had a recurring role on The Goldbergs, playing the father of Jeff Garlin's character. In 2016, Hirsch appeared on the CBS comedy series The Big Bang Theory portraying the father of Johnny Galecki's character, Leonard.
From 2014 to 2015, he appeared as a series regular on the ABC television series Forever. From 2017 to 2018, Hirsch starred in the CBS comedy Superior Donuts, which lasted two seasons.
In early 2020, Hirsch appeared in one scene, as the historic Simon Wiesenthal, season 1, episode 8 of the Amazon Prime Video show, Hunters, starring Al Pacino.

Personal life

Hirsch was married to his first wife, Elisa Sadaune, from 1963 to 1967. Their son, Alex Hirsch, was born in 1966. Hirsch married Bonni Sue Chalkin, a fashion designer, in 1992 and the couple divorced in 2005. From this second marriage, Hirsch has a daughter, Montana, and son, London.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1974The LawMurray StoneTelevision movie
1975The LawMurray Stone3 episodes
1975Fear on TrialSaulTelevision movie
1975Medical StoryDr. Joe DempseyEpisode: "Waste Land"
1975The Legend of ValentinoJack AuerbachTelevision movie
1976'Lieutenant Marco CiardiTelevision movie
1976VisionsJoe MorrisEpisode: "Two Brothers"
1977RhodaMike2 episodes: "Rhoda Likes Mike", "The Weekend"
Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
1976–1977DelvecchioSergeant Dominick Delvecchio22 episodes
1979Sooner or LaterBob WaltersTelevision movie
1979'Count DraculaTelevision movie
1980Marriage Is Alive and WellHerb RollieTelevision movie
1980'UnknownEpisode: "Zegelmania"
1981'UnknownTelevision movie
1983Lights: The Miracle of ChanukahUnknownTelevision movie
1978–1983TaxiAlex Rieger114 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy
Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
1985Detective in the HousePress Wyman6 episodes
1985First StepsDr. Jerrold PetrofskyTelevision movie
1985Brotherly LoveBen Ryder/Harry BrandTelevision movie
1988–1992Dear JohnJohn Lacey90 episodes
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy
1988'Capt. David MatthewsTelevision movie
1990She Said NoMartin KnapekTelevision movie
1994Betrayal of TrustDr. Jules MassermanTelevision movie
1996Caroline in the CityBen KarinskyEpisode: "Caroline and the Comic"
1997Color of JusticeSam LindTelevision movie
1997–1998George and LeoLeo Wagonman22 episodes
1999Rocky MarcianoAl WeillTelevision movie
2000Welcome to New YorkDr. BobEpisode: "Dr. Bob"
2001Family LawDaniel BonnerEpisode: "Security"
2002PhillyRabbi Nathan WexlerEpisode: "The Curse of the Klopman Diamonds"
2003'Dr. Judah PlatnerEpisode: "Mercy"
2003Regular JoeBaxter Binder5 episodes
2003Street TimeShimi GoldmanEpisode: "High Holly Roller"
2003'Ben ElkinsEpisode: "Pravda"
2003Who Killed the Federal TheatreNarratorTelevision movie
2005Family GuyHimself Episode: "Blind Ambition"
2006Tom Goes to the MayorPrisoner Episode: "Spray a Carpet or Rug"
2006Studio 60 on the Sunset StripWes MendellEpisode: "Pilot"
2009American Dad!Rabbi 2 episodes
2005–2010Numb3rsAlan Eppes114 episodes
2010Warehouse 13Isadore WeisfeltEpisode: "Secret Santa"
2011–2012DamagesBill Herndon14 episodes
2012The Good WifeJudge Harrison CrearyEpisode: "Here Comes the Judge"
2013–2015MaronLarry Maron4 episodes
2014'BenTelevision movie
2014–2015ForeverAbraham "Abe" Morgan22 episodes
2015–2020The GoldbergsBen "Pop-Pop" Goldberg6 episodes
2016The Big Bang TheoryDr. Alfred Hofstadter2 episodes
2016Family GuyHimself Episode: "Take a Letter"
2017–2018Superior DonutsArthur Przybyszewski34 episodes
2018Joseph EdelmanEpisode: "Alta Kockers"
2019Big MouthLewis GloubermanEpisode: "Florida"
2019Modern LoveCop, Vendor, Taxi DriverEpisode: "Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am"
2020God Friended MeAbeEpisode: "A New Hope"
2020HuntersSimon WiesenthalEpisode: "The Jewish Question"

YearTitleRoleNotes
1972-1973The Hot l BaltimoreBill LewisBest American Play - New York Drama Critics' Circle
Best American Play - Obie Award
1976Knock KnockMultiple rolesDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
1977–1978Chapter TwoGeorge SchneiderNominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play
1980Talley's FollyMatt FriedmanNominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play
1985–1988I'm Not RappaportNatTony Award for Best Actor in a Play
1992–1993Conversations with My FatherEddieTony Award for Best Actor in a Play
1996A Thousand ClownsMurray Burns
2004Sixteen WoundedHans