Fyvush Finkel

Infobox actor
name = Fyvush Finkel

---

birthname = Philip Finkel
birthdate = birth date and age|1922|10|9
location = Brooklyn, New York
yearsactive = 1934-present
spouse =
notable role = Douglas Wambaugh in "Picket Fences", Harvey Lipschultz in "Boston Public"
academyawards =
emmyawards = Supporting Actor - Drama Series
1994 "Picket Fences"
tonyawards =

Philip “Fyvush” Finkel (born October 9, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor best known as a star of Yiddish theater and for his role as lawyer Douglas Wambaugh on the television series "Picket Fences", for which he earned an Emmy Award in 1994. He is also known for his portrayal of Harvey Lipschultz, a crotchety U.S. history teacher, on the Fox Broadcasting TV series "Boston Public".

Biography

Early career

Fyvush Finkel was born at home in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York City, the third of four sons of Jewish immigrant tailor Harry Finkel, from Warsaw, Poland, and housewife Mary, from Minsk, then part of Russia. [http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/fanfare/ny-fffast5523174jan06,0,2153374.story "Fast Chat: Fyvush Finkel" (interview), "Newsday", January 6, 2008] ] Born Philip Finkel, with no middle name, he adopted the stage name "Fyvush", the Yiddish translation of Philip.

Finkel first appeared on the stage at age 9, and acted for almost 35 years in the thriving Yiddish theaters of Manhattan's Lower East Side, as well as performing as a standup comic in the Catskill's Borscht Belt. In 2008 he recalled that,

He worked regularly until the ethnic venues began dying out in the early 1960s, then made his Broadway theatre debut in the original 1964 production of the musical "Fiddler on the Roof", joining the cast as Mordcha, the innkeeper, in 1965. [ [http://ibdb.com/productionreplacements.asp?ID=3213 Internet Broadway Database: "Fiddler on the Roof" Replacements/Transfers] ] The production ran through July 2, 1972. Finkel then played Lazar Wolf, the butcher, in the short-lived 1981 Broadway revival, [ [http://ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=13312 Internet Broadway Database: "Fiddler on the Roof" (1981 revival)] ] and eventually played the lead role of Tevye the milkman for years in the national touring company.

Shortly afterward, Finkel succeeded Hy Anzell in the role of Mr. Mushnik in the Off-Broadway musical "Little Shop of Horrors". [ [http://theaterdb.com/QShow.php?sid=s2190 Internet Theatre Database: "Little Shop of Horrors"] ] Then in 1988, Finkel's work as "Sam" in the New York Shakespeare Festival revival of the Yiddish classic "Cafe Crown" earned him an Obie Award [ [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0153597.html Infoplease: 1988–1989 Obie Awards] ] and a Drama Desk nomination. [ibdb name|id=86560]

Later career

Finkel made his movie debut in the English-subtitled, Yiddish sketch-comedy revue "Monticello, Here We Come" (1950), then after small parts in an episode of the television series "Kojak" in 1977 and the miniseries "Evergreen" in 1985, returned to film in the detective comedy "Off Beat" (1986). That same year saw a role opposite Robin Williams in a PBS "American Playhouse" adaptation of Saul Bellow's novel "Seize the Day", and a role in the film adaptation of Neil Simon's Broadway comedy "Brighton Beach Memoirs". An appearance as a shyster lawyer in director Sidney Lumet's "Q & A" (1990) led TV producer-writer David E. Kelley to cast Finkel as public defender Douglas Wambaugh in the television series "Picket Fences" (CBS, 1992-1996). For the role, Finkel earned a 1994 Emmy Award, announcing at the televised ceremonies that he had waited 51 years for that moment.Fact|date=January 2008

Following the end of "Picket Fences", Finkel had a regular role on the short-lived revival of "Fantasy Island" (ABC, 1998) and then reteamed with writer-producer Kelley to play history teacher Harvey Lipschultz in "Boston Public" (Fox, 2000-2004).

Through the 1990s and 2000s, Finkel has appeared in movies including "Nixon" and "The Crew", guested on TV series including "Chicago Hope","Law and Order", "Early Edition", and "Hollywood Squares", and provided voiceovers for episodes of the animated series "The Simpsons" ("Lisa's Sax") and "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters" ("Ickis! You'll Be Snorched!") and the animated direct-to-video feature "The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars".

Finkel has continued to appear onstage in such productions as "Fyvush Finkel: From Second Avenue to Broadway" (1997) [ [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9F0DE5DF1531F933A05751C1A961958260 Gates, Anita. "Theater Review: Legends Of Yiddish Stage Brought To Life"] . "The New York Times", December 30, 1997] ] and Classic Stage Company's historical drama "New Jerusalem" (2007), by playwright David Ives. [Press release, "Tony Award-Winner Richard Easton to Star in "New Jerusalem", Marc Thibodeau, The Publicity Office, November 19, 2007]

Awards

*American Comedy Award, "Picket Fences" 1993.
*Emmy Award, Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Series, "Picket Fences" 1993-1994.
*Obie Award: Performance, "Cafe Crown" 1988-1989.

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0277882|name= Fyvush Finkel
*ibdb name|id=86560|name= Fyvush Finkel