Mike Nussbaum
Mike Nussbaum | |
|---|---|
 Nussbaum in 1974 | |
| Born | Myron Nussbaum December 29, 1923 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 23, 2023 (aged 99) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1950–2023 |
| Spouses | Annette Brenner
(m. 1949; died 2003)Julie Brudlos (m. 2004) |
| Children | 3, including Susan and Karen |
Myron G. Nussbaum (December 29, 1923 – December 23, 2023) was an American actor and director.
Early years
[edit]Myron Nussbaum (he adopted "G." while in the Army, to avoid the "no middle initial" descriptor in roll call)[1] was born in New York City to a Jewish family on December 29, 1923,[1][2][3] and grew up in the Albany Park area of Chicago. He married soon after he returned to Chicago following military service during World War II. His Army assignments included being chief of the message center for General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in which he dispatched the official notification of Germany's surrender. For 20 years, he worked with his brother-in-law in an extermination business.[4]
Career
[edit]Nussbaum's acting career started in community theatre in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he was active in a developing professional theatrical community in Chicago, meeting a young David Mamet in the process.[4] He appeared in many of Mamet's plays both on and off Broadway, as well as in Chicago. His films include Field of Dreams, House of Games, Things Change, Fatal Attraction and Men In Black.
As a director, his work has included Where Have You Gone, Jimmy Stewart? (2002) by Art Shay.
Nussbaum also appeared in local TV commercials for Chicago's Northwest Federal Savings[5] (with the jingle, "It's Northwest Federal Savings time, sixty-three hours a week").[6] He also did national commercials for United Airlines and Scope mouthwash.[5]
Nussbaum continued to act through his 90s, and he was still working on theatre projects up until his death in 2023.[7][8]
Personal life and death
[edit]Nussbaum was married to Annette Brenner from 1949 until her death in 2003.[9] He married Julie Brudlos in 2004.[10] He had three children with his first wife, Jack, Karen, and Susan.[4]
Nussbaum died at his Chicago home on December 23, 2023, six days shy of his 100th birthday.[7]
Recognition
[edit]Nussbaum received the following Jeff Awards:[11]
| Year | Award | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Director - Play | Lunching |
| 1997 | Actor in a Principal Role - Play | Racing Demon |
| 2001 | Special Award | --- |
| 2011 | Actor in a Supporting Role - Play | Broadway Bound |
| 2014 | Actor in a Supporting Role - Play | Smokefall |
| 2015 | Actor in a Supporting Role - Play | The Price |
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Early Edition | Yuri Rosanov |
| 1969 | The Monitors | Exercise Chief |
| 1971 | T.R. Baskin | Office Manager |
| 1974 | Harry and Tonto | Old Age Home Clerk |
| 1978 | Towing | Phil |
| 1987 | House of Games | Joey |
| 1987 | Fatal Attraction | Bob Drimmer |
| 1988 | Things Change | Mr. Green |
| 1989 | Field of Dreams | Principal |
| 1990 | Desperate Hours | Mr. Nelson |
| 1992 | Gladiator | Doctor |
| 1995 | Losing Isaiah | Dr. Jamison |
| 1995 | Steal Big Steal Little | Sam Barlow, Clifford Downey's Attorney |
| 1997 | Men In Black | Gentle Rosenberg |
| 2005 | The Game of Their Lives | Johnny Abruzzo |
| 2006 | Dirty Work | Gaga |
| 2008 | Osso Bucco | Uncle Sil |
| 2020 | Tom of Your Life | Father McMurphy |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Equalizer | Harry Dawson | Episode: "First Light" |
| 1993 | Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage | Gaspar DiGregorio | TV movie |
| 1993 | Gypsy | Weber, Los Angeles Theatre Manager | TV movie[12] |
| 1997 | Early Edition | Yuri Rosanov | TV movie |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Green, Penelope (December 29, 2023). "Mike Nussbaum, Celebrated Chicago Theater Actor, Dies at 99". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ "Mike Nussbaum, the Oldest Working Jewish Actor, Tells All." Hodes, Laura. The Jewish Daily Forward. Forward.com Published November 9, 2015. Accessed February 25, 2016.
- ^ Simon, Scott. "At 94, Mike Nussbaum Is The Oldest Working Stage Actor In Show Biz". NPR. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ a b c Hansen, Stephen E. "Mike Nussbaum Is 90 and Can Do More Pushups than You". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Zell, Fran (December 23, 1977). "Mike Nussbaum prefers to direct his energies here". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. p. 19wpn. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
- ^ "North West Federal Savings - "63 Hours a Week!" (Commercial, 1977)". Youtube.
- ^ a b Jones, Chris. "Chicago actor Mike Nussbaum dies at 99, the oldest working actor in the country". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ Steinberg, Neil (April 25, 2019). "Not only the oldest but one of the best: Mike Nussbaum on acting at 95". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Groark, Virginia (April 7, 2003). "Activist, fun-loving mom, grandma". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. p. Section 4, P 11. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ Tribune, Nina Metz, Special to the (September 4, 2005). "Mike Nussbaum going strong". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Archives". The Joseph Jefferson Awards. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ^ [1] imdb.com. Accessed January 8, 2023.
External links
[edit]
- Personal remembrances
- Illinois Arts Alliance Arts Legend citation
- Goodman Theatre Artist Bio
- Mike Nussbaum Is 90 and Can Do More Pushups than You
- Mike Nussbaum at IMDb
- Mike Nussbaum Papers at the Newberry Library
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1923 births
- 2023 deaths
- 20th-century American Jews
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- American military personnel of World War II
- American people of Jewish descent
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish American military personnel
- Male actors from Chicago
- Military personnel from Chicago
- Military personnel from Illinois
- Military personnel from New York City
- Military personnel from New York (state)
- United States Army personnel of World War II
- Burials at Westlawn Cemetery