Nehemiah Persoff

Military service Persoff attended the Hebrew Technical Institute in New York City, graduating as a certified electrician in 1937. In 1942, he was drafted into the United States Army and served for the remainder of World War II; he was assigned to the Special Services for entertainment. After he completed his military service, he took up an electrician's job as a subway signal maintenance worker in New York City.

His first role was an uncredited bit part in the documentary–style detective film The Naked City (1948). and he appeared again with Steiger in Al Capone (also 1959).

In the film Yentl (1983), Persoff portrayed the father of Barbra Streisand's character. and Gilligan's Island as the title character in the episode "The Little Dictator" (the favorite episode of the show's creator Sherwood Schwartz). Persoff appeared on the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Most Toys" and was the oldest living male actor to appear in a Star Trek production at the time of his death.

Retirement and memoir Persoff retired from acting in 2003 and pursued painting, specializing in watercolors.

His memoir, The Many Faces of Nehemiah, was published by The Autumn Road Company in July 2021.

Personal life In 1951, Persoff married Thia Persov, who had served as a nurse with the Palmach, the elite fighting force of the Haganah, during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Smiling Man Departing Subway Jules Dassin 1954 On the Waterfront Gene Conforti Alfred Hitchcock The Wild Party Kicks Johnson Harry Horner

Men in War SFC Nate Lewis Anthony Mann Street of Sinners Leon William Berke This Angry Age Albert René Clément 1958 The Badlanders Vincente Delmer Daves

Never Steal Anything Small Pinelli Charles Lederer Green Mansions Dan Andre de Toth

The Big Show Graile Michael CurtizJohn Wayne 1963 The Hook Under Secretary Segura Jack Arnold Fate Is the Hunter Ben Sawyer Ralph Nelson 1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Georgi Abner Biberman

The Money Jungle Lieutenant Dow Reeves Francis D. Lyon The Day of the Owl Pizzuco Damiano Damiani The Power Professor Carl Melnicker Byron Haskin Panic in the City August Best Eddie Davis 1969 The Girl Who Knew Too Much Lieutenant Miles Crawford Francis D. Lyon 1970 The People Next Door Dr. Salazar David Greene

Mrs. Pollifax-Spy Berisha Leslie H. Martinson Red Sky at Morning Amadeo Montoya James Goldstone 1972 Lapin 360 Robert Michael Lewis 1975 Psychic Killer Mort Logan Timothy Bond 1979 In Search of Historic Jesus Herod Antipas Henning Schellerup 1981 St. Helens Mr. Ellison Ernest Pintoff 1982 O'Hara's Wife Dr. Fischer William Bartman 1983 Yentl Papa Mousekewitz (voice) Don Bluth

The Last Temptation of Christ Rabbi Martin Scorsese Twins

Phil NibbelinkSimon Wells 1998 An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island

1999 An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster 2001 4 Faces Ted Post

Television