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Ron Leibman

Ron Leibman

Highest Rated: 91% Norma Rae (1979)

Lowest Rated: 0% Up the Academy (1980)

Birthday: Oct 11, 1937

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

This charismatic character lead excelled in quirky, explosive types and has been prominent on stage and TV since the 1960s. Ron Leibman was particularly applauded as the union organizer Ruben Warshawsky in Martin Ritt's "Norma Rae" (1979), in his Emmy-winning role as "Kaz" (CBS, 1978-79) and as Roy Cohn in Tony Kushner's two-part Broadway epic "Angels in America" (1993-94). Raised in an upper middle class family on Manhattan's Central Park West, Leibman broke into theater in 1959. After enjoying some success in "Dear Me, the Sky Is Falling" (1963) and "We Bombed in New Haven" (1968), he began making occasional feature films. The actor debuted as the gorilla-dressing brother in Carl Reiner's "Where's Poppa?" (1970). His other best-remembered parts included David Greenberg, the real-life street cop who formed half of the team nicknamed "The Super Cops" (1973) and as the smarmy antagonist in "Rhinestone" (1984). Leibman's other films have proven generally disappointing. He starred in Arthur Hiller's mistitled "Romantic Comedy" (1983) and was the commandant of a military school in the lame teen farce "Up the Academy" (1980), from which he attempted to have his name removed from the credits. The exceptions were the fine Australian-made horse racing saga, "Phar Lap" (1984) and Sidney Lumet's "Night Falls on Manhattan" (1997), in which he played an ambitious district attorney. In general, Leibman has found his talents unrewarded in Hollywood, but he has kept busy onstage in the modestly successful Neil Simon comedies, "I Ought to Be in Pictures" (1980) and "Rumors" (1989), in the latter alongside his second wife, Jessica Walter. He enjoyed a notable triumph onstage with his blistering, Tony-winning portrait of Joseph McCarthy's venomous right-hand man Roy Cohn in "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" and "Angels in America: Perestroika." Leibman also garnered controversy for his portrayal of Shylock in a 1994 Off-Broadway production of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." Leibman's larger-than-life approach to roles often seemed ill-suited to the small screen as well. Although he has begun working in TV in the early 60s, he has not been able to find a successful series berth. While he earned praise and an Emmy for "Kaz," a show which he also created, it did not pull in the ratings. Neither did "Pacific Station" (NBC, 1991), a short-lived detective series. While Leibman brought class and verve to the recurring role of ruthless magazine publisher Allen Rush on the CBS sudser "Central Park West/CPW" (1995-96) and despite a heavy promotional effort, that series was also quickly canceled. He has found some success in the occasional role as the uptight father of Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) on the hit NBC sitcom "Friends." Formerly married to actress Linda Lavin, Leibman married Jessica Walter in 1983. Rob Leibman died on December 6, 2019 at the age of 82.

Highest rated movies

91% 79% Norma Rae
88% 93% Phar Lap
86% 88% Garden State
83% 65% The Super Cops
83% 69% Where's Poppa?
82% 68% Slaughterhouse Five
78% 69% The Hot Rock
72% 61% Auto Focus

Filmography

Movies

Credit
42% 30% A Little Help Warren (Character) $85.8K 2010
86% 88% Garden State Dr. Cohen (Character) $26.8M 2004
70% 74% Dummy Lou (Character) $71.3K 2003
72% 61% Auto Focus Lenny (Character) $2.1M 2002
23% 38% Just the Ticket Barry the Book (Character) $427.9K 1999
No Score Yet 78% Don King: Only in America Harry Shondor (Character) - 1997
72% 64% Night Falls on Manhattan Morganstern (Character) $9.9M 1996
No Score Yet 20% Seven Hours to Judgment David Reardon (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami Simon Resnick (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet 67% Christmas Eve Morris Huffner (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet Many Happy Returns Jerry Brenner (Character) - 1986
19% 36% Rhinestone Freddie Ugo (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Door to Door Larry Price (Character) - 1984
29% 48% Romantic Comedy Leo Janowitz (Character) - 1983
88% 93% Phar Lap Dave Davis (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rivkin: Bounty Hunter Rivkin (Character) - 1981
50% 72% Zorro, the Gay Blade Captain Esteban (Character) - 1981
0% 43% Up the Academy Major Vaughn Liceman (Character) - 1980
91% 79% Norma Rae Reuben (Character) - 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Question of Guilt Detective Louis Kazinsky (Character) - 1978
14% 50% Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood Rudy Montague (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Roman Grey: The Art of Crime Roman Grey (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Art of Crime Roman Grey (Character) - 1975
83% 65% The Super Cops David Greenberg (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Your Three Minutes Are Up Mike (Character) - 1973
78% 69% The Hot Rock Murch (Character) - 1972
82% 68% Slaughterhouse Five Paul Lazzaro (Character) - 1972
83% 69% Where's Poppa? Sidney Hocheiser (Character) - 1970

TV

Credit
91% 84% Archer Ron Cadillac (Guest Voice) 2013-2016
92% 96% The Sopranos Dr. Lior Plepler (Guest Star) 2006
78% 93% Friends Dr. Leonard Green (Guest Star) 1996 2001 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Practice Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet 83% Law & Order Unknown (Guest Star) 1995 2000
No Score Yet 93% Rugrats Rabbi/Old Man (Guest Voice) 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Central Park West Allen Rush (Character),
Unknown (Guest Star)
1995-1996
No Score Yet 89% Murder, She Wrote Darryl Heyward (Guest Star) 1990 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Aaron's Way Unknown (Guest Star) 1988