Ron Leibman

Ron Leibman Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: October 11, 1937

Death Date: December 6, 2019

Birth Place: New York, New York

Spouses: Linda Lavin, Jessica Walter

This charismatic character lead excelled in quirky, explosive types and has been prominent on stage and TV since the 1960s. Ron Leibman was particularly applauded as the union organizer Ruben Warshawsky in Martin Ritt's "Norma Rae" (1979), in his Emmy-winning role as "Kaz" (CBS, 1978-79) and as Roy Cohn in Tony Kushner's two-part Broadway epic "Angels in America" (1993-94).

Raised in an upper middle class family on Manhattan's Central Park West, Leibman broke into theater in 1959. After enjoying some success in "Dear Me, the Sky Is Falling" (1963) and "We Bombed in New Haven" (1968), he began making occasional feature films. The actor debuted as the gorilla-dressing brother in Carl Reiner's "Where's Poppa?" (1970).

His other best-remembered parts included David Greenberg, the real-life street cop who formed half of the team nicknamed "The Super Cops" (1973) and as the smarmy antagonist in "Rhinestone" (1984). Leibman's other films have proven generally disappointing. He starred in Arthur Hiller's mistitled "Romantic Comedy" (1983) and was the commandant of a military school in the lame teen farce "Up the Academy" (1980), from which he attempted to have his name removed from the credits.

The exceptions were the fine Australian-made horse racing saga, "Phar Lap" (1984) and Sidney Lumet's "Night Falls on Manhattan" (1997), in which he played an ambitious district attorney. In general, Leibman has found his talents unrewarded in Hollywood, but he has kept busy onstage in the modestly successful Neil Simon comedies, "I Ought to Be in Pictures" (1980) and "Rumors" (1989), in the latter alongside his second wife, Jessica Walter. He enjoyed a notable triumph onstage with his blistering, Tony-winning portrait of Joseph McCarthy's venomous right-hand man Roy Cohn in "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" and "Angels in America: Perestroika."

Leibman also garnered controversy for his portrayal of Shylock in a 1994 Off-Broadway production of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." Leibman's larger-than-life approach to roles often seemed ill-suited to the small screen as well. Although he has begun working in TV in the early 60s, he has not been able to find a successful series berth.

While he earned praise and an Emmy for "Kaz," a show which he also created, it did not pull in the ratings. Neither did "Pacific Station" (NBC, 1991), a short-lived detective series. While Leibman brought class and verve to the recurring role of ruthless magazine publisher Allen Rush on the CBS sudser "Central Park West/CPW" (1995-96) and despite a heavy promotional effort, that series was also quickly canceled.

He has found some success in the occasional role as the uptight father of Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) on the hit NBC sitcom "Friends." Formerly married to actress Linda Lavin, Leibman married Jessica Walter in 1983. Rob Leibman died on December 6, 2019 at the age of 82.

Credits

ArcherStream

Guest Voice
Ron Cadillac
Series
2010
91%

A Little Help

Actor
Warren
Movie
2010

Garden StateStream

Actor
Dr. Cohen
Movie
2004
86%

Dummy

Actor
Lou
Movie
2003

Auto Focus

Actor
Lenny
Movie
2002

An Evening at the Improv

Host
Show
2000

The SopranosStream

Guest Star
Dr. Lior Plepler
Series
1999
92%

Just the Ticket

Actor
Barry the Book
Movie
1999

The PracticeStream

Guest Star
Series
1997

Don King: Only in America

Actor
Harry Shondor
Movie
1997

CPW

Actor
Show
1996

Night Falls on ManhattanStream

Actor
Morganstern
Movie
1996
70%

Central Park West

Actor
Allen Rush
Series
1995

Central Park West

Guest Star
Allen Rush
Series
1995

FriendsStream

Guest Star
Dr. Leonard Green
Series
1994
78%

Pacific Station

Actor
Det. Al Burkhardt
Show
1991

RugratsStream

Guest Voice
Rabbi/Old Man
Series
1991

Law & OrderStream

Guest Star
Series
1990

Aaron's Way

Guest Star
Series
1988

À sept heures du jugement

Actor
Movie
1988

Seven Hours to Judgment

Actor
David Reardon
Movie
1988

Siete Horas Para el Juicio

Actor
Movie
1988

Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami

Actor
Simon Resnick
Movie
1987

Many Happy Returns

Actor
Jerry Brenner
Movie
1986

Christmas Eve

Actor
Morris Huffner
Movie
1986

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Roland Trent
Series
1984

Rhinestone

Actor
Freddie Ugo
Movie
1984

Door to Door

Actor
Larry Price
Movie
1984

Romantic Comedy

Actor
Leo Janowitz
Movie
1983

Phar Lap

Actor
Dave Davis
Movie
1983

Zorro, the Gay Blade

Actor
Captain Esteban
Movie
1981

Rivkin: Bounty Hunter

Actor
Rivkin
Movie
1981

Rivkin, le chasseur de primes

Actor
Movie
1981

Up the Academy

Actor
Major Vaughn Liceman
Movie
1980

Norma Rae

Actor
Reuben
Movie
1979
91%

Kaz

Actor
Martin 'Kaz' Kazinsky
Series
1978

Kaz

Creator
Series
1978

A Question of Guilt

Actor
Detective Louis Kazinsky
Movie
1978

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood

Actor
Rudy Montague
Movie
1975

The Art of Crime

Actor
Roman Grey
Movie
1975

Roman Grey: The Art of Crime

Actor
Roman Grey
Movie
1975

The Super Cops

Actor
David Greenberg
Movie
1974

Ases Mata al Rey

Actor
Movie
1974

Your Three Minutes Are Up

Actor
Mike
Movie
1973

The Hot Rock

Actor
Murch
Movie
1972
78%

Slaughterhouse Five

Actor
Paul Lazzaro
Movie
1972

Where's Poppa?Stream

Actor
Sidney Hocheiser
Movie
1970
82%