Lewis J. Stadlen

Lewis J. Stadlen (born March 7, 1947) is an American stage and screen character actor. He is best known for playing Ira Fried in The Sopranos.

Career

Stage Born in Brooklyn, New York, to voice actor Allen Swift, Stadlen studied acting with Sanford Meisner and Stella Adler. He made his Broadway debut as Groucho Marx in the musical comedy Minnie's Boys in 1970. Other noted Broadway roles include Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Banjo in a revival of The Man Who Came to Dinner, Milt in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and Voltaire/Dr. Pangloss in the 1974 Broadway production of Candide . He has been nominated for two Tony Awards during his career.

The Time of Your Life was revived on March 17, 1972, at the Huntington Hartford Theater in Los Angeles, with Stadlen, Henry Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Thompson, Strother Martin, Gloria Grahame, Jane Alexander, Richard X. Slattery and Pepper Martin among the cast and Edwin Sherin directing.

Film Stadlen's film credits include Portnoy's Complaint (1972), Serpico (1973), The Verdict (1982), To Be or Not to Be 1983), Windy City (1984), and In & Out (1997).

Television In 1966, Stadlen made his debut in a single appearance on The Edge of Night, playing a newsboy. His television credits in the 1970's were limited to guest appearances until 1979, when he was cast as a series regular in the first season of Benson as John Taylor, Governor Gatling's chief of staff.

Stadlen found this role to be dissatisfying, frequently clashing with producers over the scripts and the direction of his character. He asked to be released from his contract, leaving him to be replaced in the second season by René Auberjonois, who assumed the role of Clayton Endicott. He also has appeared in Law & Order and The Sopranos.

His autobiography, Acting Foolish, was published by Bear Manor in 2009.

Awards and nominations

Credits Film YearTitleRoleNotes1972 Portnoy's Complaint Mandel 1972 Savages Julian Branch, a Song Writer 1972 Parades Potofski 1973 Serpico Jerry Berman 1977 Between the Lines Stanley 1982 Soup for One Allan's Father 1982 The Verdict Dr. Gruber 1983 To Be or Not to Be Lupinsky 1984 Windy City Marty 1990 Funny About Love Avi 1994 I.Q. Moderator 1995 The Real Shlemiel Lekish / Zeinvel / The Peddler Voice1997 In & Out Ed Kenrow 1998 The Impostors Bandleader

Television

Theatre