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Even though Jerry Orbach is best known for his role as Detective Lennie Briscoe on TV's Law and Order, he originally made his mark as a stage performer, starring in many musicals on and off Broadway. He originated the roles of El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Billy Flynn in Chicago and Julian Marsh in 42nd Street on the New York stage. His performance in the Broadway production of Promises, Promises, won him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical Play, as well as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance.
Jerry Orbach was born on October 20, 1935, in the Bronx, NY, and moved several times during his childhood. In 1955, he found work as an understudy in The Threepenny Opera. He stayed with the show for over three years, eventually playing the lead character, Mack the Knife. In 1959, he received two simultaneous acting offers: one for a Broadway production paying $250 a week and the other for an off-Broadway show paying only $45 a week. Orbach chose the latter and created the role of El Gallo in the off-Broadway production The Fantastiks, which became the longest running off-Broadway show in history. Orbach left the show in 1961 to make his Broadway debut in Carnival! and won rave reviews for both his singing and his acting. He later won a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Skye Masterson in Guys and Dolls and made a critically acclaimed performance as a neurotic Jewish intellectual in Scuba Duba. After his Tony Award win in 1969 for his portrayal of Chuck Baxter in Promises, Promises, he received another Tony nomination for his role in Chicago.
In the meantime, he also began to win more roles in TV and film, including a recurring role as Harry McGraw in the TV series, Murder, She Wrote. That led to a short-lived spin-off, The Law and Harry McGraw. He earned Emmy nominations for his performances in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, and in the TV series, The Golden Girls. He also had major roles in the films, Prince of the City, F/X, and Dirty Dancing. He gave voice to the animated character, Lumiere, in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. In 1990, he first appeared as Detective Lennie Briscoe, on Law and Order, which became a regular part in 1992.
Orbach, who lived in New York City, died on December 29, 2004 after a battle with prostate cancer. Married twice, he was survived by his second wife, Elaine Cancilla, and his sons Chris and Tony from his first marriage.
Last updated: January 21, 2009.
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