Biography
Jack Gilford (born Jacob Aaron Gellman, also credited as Yankel Gellman) was an American stage, film and television actor. He began performing in amateur nights in the 1930s before moving into nightclubs as a comedian specialising in satire and pantomime. He made his Broadway debut in 1940 and appeared regularly on television and in films from the 1960s onwards.
Gilford is known for his roles as Bernie Lefkowitz in Cocoon (1985) and its sequel Cocoon: The Return (1988), as well as appearances in Catch-22 (1970), Caveman (1981) and episodes of The Golden Girls and Taxi. He received Tony Award nominations for his Broadway performances in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963) and Cabaret (1966), and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Save the Tiger (1973). He was blacklisted during the 1950s, which affected his early television work.
