Some Like It Hot , Gunsmoke and An American Tail Actor Nehemiah Persoff Dead at 102
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Nehemiah Persoff, known for his roles in Some Like It Hot, Gunsmoke, An American Tail and various other movies and TV series, died at the age of 102, multiple outlets report.
Persoff's son Dan confirmed his father's death to The Hollywood Reporter, while a family friend confirmed the news to Deadline. Both outlets reported that the actor died Tuesday at a rehabilitation facility in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Persoff was born in Jerusalem in August 1919, according to THR. The late actor came to the United States with his family in 1929 and, after showing off his acting chops during his bar mitzvah, spent many summers working in theater before breaking into the film and television industry.
During his time on Broadway between 1949 and 1959, Persoff appeared in 11 shows including Galileo with Charles Laughton, Peter Pan with Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff, and Peer Gynt with John Garfield.
Persoff received his first film credit in 1948 for his brief role in The Naked City and his second in 1954 for another small role in On the Waterfront. In 1956, Persoff appeared in three different films, including Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man.
RELATED GALLERY: Celebrities Who Died in 2022
ANL/Shutterstock
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Over five decades in the industry, Persoff appeared in a variety of films including Humphrey Bogart's final film The Harder They Fall (1956), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), The People Next Door (1970), Psychic Killer (1975), Yentl with Barbra Streisand (1983) Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Twins (1988) and 4 Faces (1999).
Persoff also voiced Papa Mousekewitz in the 1986 animated film An American Tail and its three subsequent films, which were among his final film credits ahead of his 1999 retirement.
Persoff also had various television credits, including The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Little House on the Prairie, Hawaii Five-0, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mission: Impossible and Chicago Hope.
At the time of his 1999 retirement, Persoff called it "a wonderful 60 years" of acting, according to THR. "But at this time in my life, I love solving problems on the canvas; trying to find the beauty and essence of a subject," he said. "I feel very fortunate in being able to continue my creative life, but this time without the tension, frustration and conflicts of an acting career."
Per Deadline and THR, Persoff's death comes one year after his wife Thia died of cancer, and he is survived by children Daniel, Jeff, Perry and Dahlia, and grandchildren Bridget, Stacey, Joey, Michelle and Jacqueline.
