Cast & creator
Nehemiah Persoff
Best known for Law & Order, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Columbo
Nehemiah Persoff was an American film and television actor. Persoff emigrated with his family from Palestine to the United States in 1929. He began to take an interest in acting in the 1940s, and after serving in the Army during World War II, he began to pursue his acting career in the New York Theater. In 1947, he was accepted into the Actor's Studio and eventually began appearing in films. His film credits include: On the Waterfront, Some Like It Hot, Al Capone, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Voyage of the Damned, The Comancheros, Yentl (portraying Barbra Streisand's character's father), Twins and the American Tail (animated-film series) (voiced, "Papa Mousekewitz"). Persoff appeared in such television series as, Five Fingers ("The Moment of Truth"), The Big Valley ("Legend of a General", Parts I & II, episode), The Twilight Zone ("Judgment Night" episode), Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Heart of Gold" episode), The Untouchables, Naked City, The Legend of Jesse James, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O, Ellery Queen ("The Adventure of the Pharaoh's Curse" episode), Mission: Impossible (3 episodes), Adam-12 ("Vendetta" episode), Charlie's Angels, Hunter, Columbo, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Magnum, P.I., Law & Order and Chicago Hope. In the mid-1980s, Persoff began to pursue painting, specializing in watercolour. This was at a time when health problems forced him to decrease his acting workload.
71
film credits
132
television credits
203
1948–2022 · acting roles
6.9
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (203)
Showing 203 of 203 credits
Law & Order
David Steinmetz
1990
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Toff
1987
Columbo
Jesse Jerome
1971
Chicago Hope
Rabbi Ben Taubler
1994
MacGyver
Sam Bolinski
1985
Murder, She Wrote
Constantin Stavros
1984
Hawaii Five-O
Harry Cardonus
1969Hawaii Five-O
Winkler
1969Hawaii Five-O
Leo Paoli
1969Hawaii Five-O
Cordell
1969Hawaii Five-O
Victor Palua
1969Hawaii Five-O
Allie Francis
1969
Magnum, P.I.
Rabbi Asher Solomon
1980
Wagon Train
Tiburcio Mendez
1957
L.A. Law
Rabbi Isadore Glickman
1986
Adam-12
Angelo Covelli
1968
American Playhouse
Marcus Hoff
1982
Mannix
Anton Wojeska
1967
Love, American Style
Mr. Stone
1969
Little House on the Prairie
Mr. Olaf Lundstrom
1974
Mission: Impossible
Igor Stravos
1966Mission: Impossible
Phillipe Pereda
1966Mission: Impossible
Prince Iben Kostas
1966
Quincy, M.E.
1976
Charlie's Angels
Anton
1976
Climax!
Lieutenant Cal Nourse
1954
The Six Million Dollar Man
Major Popov
1974Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Alverian
1963
Barney Miller
Carl Simms
1975Barney Miller
Yacov Berger
1975
The Twilight Zone
Carl Lanser
1959
Naked City
Barney Peters
1958Naked City
Max Evar
1958Naked City
Carlos Ruldan
1958Naked City
Dominic Venussi
1958Naked City
Berco Romanu
1958Naked City
Merritt Griffin
1958
The Facts of Life
1979
Hotel
1982
Highway to Heaven
1984
The Untouchables
Jake 'Greasy Thumb' Guzik
1959The Untouchables
Johnny Fortunato
1959The Untouchables
Waxey Gordon
1959
The Philco Television Playhouse
Ed Kagan
1948
Ben Casey
1961
The Wild Wild West
Major Hazard
1965The Wild Wild West
Gen. Andreas Cassinello
1965
Rawhide
Domingo
1959Rawhide
Michob
1959
The Name of the Game
Ambassador
1968
Route 66
1960
The Big Valley
General Vicente Ruiz
1965
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Max Behrman
1969Marcus Welby, M.D.
Nick Kolinski
1969
Burke's Law
Jason Flonder
1963Burke's Law
Wilhelm Kasimer
1963Burke's Law
Albert Indigo, 'Mr. I'
1963
Hunter
Harold Goodman
1984
Fantasy Island
Horst Von Stern
1978
Doogie Howser, M.D.
Max Wernick
1989
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983
Gunsmoke
Jack Pinto
1955Gunsmoke
Mr. Dano
1955Gunsmoke
Alex Skouras
1955Gunsmoke
Driscoll
1955Gunsmoke
Ben Rando
1955Gunsmoke
Alejo Etchahoun
1955
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
McCloud
1970McCloud
Perry Cicero
1970
The High Chaparral
Homero José
1967
Baretta
1975
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Valandros
1964
The Bionic Woman
1976
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Ralph Collins
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Jeff Jensen
1955
Vega$
1978
Gilligan's Island
1964
Police Story
1973
The Mod Squad
1968The Mod Squad
Nick Master
1968
The Time Tunnel
Prof. Anton Biraki
1966
Battlestar Galactica
Eastern Alliance Leader
1978
Armstrong Circle Theatre
1950
Wonder Woman
Professor Moreno
1975
Mr. Novak
Henry Selkirk
1963
Shirley Temple's Storybook
Ali Baba
1958
Ellery Queen
1975
Land of the Giants
Titus
1968
McMillan & Wife
Clementa Habib
1971
The United States Steel Hour
Dr. Arnault / Oliver
1953
Tarzan
Chembe Kunji
1966
Playhouse 90
Pablo
1956Playhouse 90
Prisoners Father
1956
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Vladimir
1977
Honey West
Faustini
1965
It Takes a Thief
Harry Lavender
1968
Sam Benedict
1962
The New Breed
Louis Morley
1961
Startime
Prior Andry
1959
Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II
Charles Dietrich
1976
Mr. Lucky
1959
The Bill Cosby Show
Mr. Byron
1969
The Wonderful World of Disney
Artie Moreno
1954
Some Like It Hot
Little Bonaparte
1959
The Harder They Fall
Leo
1956
The Legend of Jesse James
El Carnicero
1965
Bus Stop
1961
Dan August
Leo Cussoni
1970CBS Playhouse
Dr. Salazar
1966
Logan's Run
ASA
1977
J.J. Starbuck
1987
Supertrain
Max
1979
Jericho
1966Playwrights '56
1955
Twins
Mitchell Traven
1988
The Invisible Man
Dr. Leon Barnard
1975
The Wonderful World of Disney
1961
Hunter
Sheik Farakbi
1977
The French Atlantic Affair
Col. Schreiner
1979
Angels in America
Rabbi (uncredited)
2003
An American Tail
Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
1986
On the Waterfront
Cab Driver (uncredited)
1954
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Dr. Duchesnes
1951
The Last Temptation of Christ
Rabbi
1988
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Shemiah
1965
The Word
Abbot Petropolous
1978
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
1991
Cool Million
Karinakis
1972
Search
1972The Chicago Teddy Bears
1971
The Motorola Television Hour
1953
The Wrong Man
Gene Conforti
1956
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Jules Dreise
1951
The Rebels
Baron Von Steuben
1979
Voyage of the Damned
Herr Hauser
1976
The Comancheros
Graile
1961
Day of the Outlaw
Dan, Starret's Foreman
1959
Condominium
Conlaw
1980
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster
Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
1999
B.A.D. Cats
1980
McNaughton's Daughter
Vinnie Laine
1976
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island
Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
1998
Fate Is the Hunter
Ben Sawyer
1964
The Power
Carl Melnicker
1968
The Thief
D'Arnault-Olivier
1955
Green Mansions
Don Panta
1959
The Treasure of San Bosco Reef
Captain Malcione
1968
Al Capone
Johnny Torrio
1959
Yentl
Rebbe Mendel
1983
The Day of the Owl
Pizzuco
1968
The Badlanders
Vincente (The Powder Monkey)
1958
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident
Rudenko
1976
O'Hara's Wife
Dr. Fischer
1982
Michael O'Hara the Fourth
Artie Moreno
1972
The Treasure of San Bosco Reef
Captain Malcione
1968
Purple Playhouse
Dr. Van Helsing
1973
Men in War
Sgt. Lewis
1957
The Killers of Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
1959
The People Next Door
Dr. Salazar
1970
Panic in the City
August Best
1968Dracula
Dr. Van Helsing
1973
Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women
Charles Frohman
1978
Lieutenant Schuster's Wife
Champagne Joe Carroll
1972
Red Sky at Morning
Amadeo Montoya
1971
A Cry for Justice
Dr. Burke
1979
F.D.R.: The Last Year
Josef Stalin
1980
A Global Affair
Under Secretary Segura
1964Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story
Self - Interviewee
2022
Never Steal Anything Small
Pinelli
1959
Cutter's Trail
Santillo
1970
Too Many Thieves
Georgi
1966
The Stranger Within
Dr. Edward Klein
1974
Mayerling
Police Officer
1957
The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones
Skoda
1966
The Wild Party
Kicks Johnson
1956
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
Self
2012
The Making of a President
1978
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Lieutenant Crawford
1969
The Sex Symbol
Nick Fortis
1974
The Hook
Capt. Van Ryn
1963
The Death of Manolete
Camera
1957
A Double Life
1978
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Pablo
1959
Daniel in the Lions' Den
Malimar
1978
Mrs. Pollifax — Spy
Berisha
1971
St. Helens
Mr. Ellison
1982
This Angry Age
Albert Legros
1957
Eric
Dr. Duchesnes
1975
The Henderson Monster
Prof. Leo Tedeschi
1980
The Big Show
Bruno Everard
1961
Psychic Killer
Doctor Gubner
1975
The Money Jungle
Lt. Dow Reeves
1967
Turnover Smith
Ashmed Amad
1980
Deadly Harvest
Mort Logan
1977
Escape to Mindanao
Capt. Kramer
1968
Marty
The Critic
1953
Street of Sinners
Leon
1957
In Search of Historic Jesus
Herod Antipas
1979
Killing Stone
Earl Stone
19784 Faces
2001