---
name: "Jack Gilford"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jack-gilford"
fi1m_id: "jack-gilford"
imdb_id: "nm0318527"
tmdb_id: 64929
wikidata_id: "Q555182"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "25 July 1908"
died: "2 June 1990"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-04T19:01:15.633045+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jack Gilford

## Identity

Jack Gilford

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jack-gilford
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jack-gilford
- **IMDb ID:** nm0318527
- **TMDB ID:** 64929
- **Wikidata ID:** Q555182
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Gilford, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q555182, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318527/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/64929

Actor. Born 25 July 1908 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 2 June 1990.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 25 July 1908, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 2 June 1990
- **Also known as:** Jacob Aaron Gellman, Yankel Gellman
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Gilford, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q555182, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318527/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/64929

## 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.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Cocoon* (1985), Fi1m 75, as Bernie Lefkowitz — [page](https://film.one/film/cocoon.md)

## Complete filmography (60)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Cocoon: The Return* (1988), as Bernie Lefkowitz
- *Arthur 2: On the Rocks* (1988), as Mr. Butterworth
- *thirtysomething* (1987), series, Actor
- *Young Again* (1986), as The Old Man
- *Joe Bash* (1986), series, Actor
- *Hostage Flight* (1985), as Mr. Singer
- *The Golden Girls* (1985), series, as Max Weinstock — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-golden-girls.md)
- *Cocoon* (1985), as Bernie Lefkowitz — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/cocoon.md)
- *The Duck Factory* (1984), series, as Brooks Carmichael
- *Night Court* (1984), series, as Marty Ratner
- *Happy* (1983), as Bernie Nelson
- *Mama's Family* (1983), series, Actor
- *Anna to the Infinite Power* (1983), as Dr. Jelliff
- *Hotel* (1982), series, as Max
- *Caveman* (1981), as Gog
- *Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood* (1981), as Wally
- *Cheaper to Keep Her* (1981), as Stanley Bracken
- *Wholly Moses* (1980), as Tailor
- *Trapper John, M.D.* (1979), series, Actor
- *Apple Pie* (1978), series, as Grandpa Hollyhock
- *Taxi* (1978), series, as Joe Reiger — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/taxi.md)
- *A Doonesbury Special* (1978), as Referee
- *The Love Boat* (1977), series, as Fingers, Horace Bascons
- *Seventh Avenue* (1977), series, as Finklestein
- *The Andros Targets* (1977), series, as Barney Gaylord
- *Everybody Rides the Carousel* (1976), as Stage 8 (voice)
- *Alice* (1976), series, Actor
- *Harry and Walter Go to New York* (1976), as Mischa
- *Doc* (1975), series, Actor
- *Kate McShane* (1975), series, as Joe Ackerman
- *Tubby the Tuba* (1975), as The Herald (voice)
- *Twigs* (1975), as Ned
- *Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers* (1974), series, Actor
- *Police Woman* (1974), series, Actor
- *Rhoda* (1974), series, Actor
- *The Daytime Emmy Awards* (1974), series, Actor
- *Save the Tiger* (1973), as Phil Greene
- *Once Upon a Mattress* (1972), as King Sextimus
- *Of Thee I Sing* (1972), as Alexander Throttlebottom
- *They Might Be Giants* (1971), as Wilbur Peabody
- *All in the Family* (1971), series, as Bernard Bernstein — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/all-in-the-family.md)
- *Catch-22* (1970), as Dr. "Doc" Daneeka
- *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1969), as Dr. Jonas Salk
- *Here's Lucy* (1968), series, as Wilbur Harlow
- *The Ghost & Mrs. Muir* (1968), series, Actor
- *The Incident* (1967), as Sam Beckerman
- *Who's Minding the Mint?* (1967), as Avery Dugan
- *Enter Laughing* (1967), as Mr. Foreman
- *A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum* (1966), as Hysterium
- *Mister Buddwing* (1966), as Mr. Schwartz
- *The Daydreamer* (1966), as Papa Andersen
- *Get Smart* (1965), series, as Simon the Likeable
- *Once Upon a Mattress* (1964), as King Sextimus
- *The Dog Lover* (1962), Actor
- *The Defenders* (1961), series, as Louis Brandt, David Marcus, Willie Drucker
- *The World of Sholom Aleichem* (1959), as Bontsche Shveig / Angel
- *Main Street to Broadway* (1953), as Box Office Clerk (uncredited)
- *Reckless Age* (1944), as Joey Bagle
- *Hey, Rookie* (1944), as Specialty
- *Midnight Melodies* (1936), as Nightclub Show Mimic

## Gallery

- ![Jack Gilford stars as Larry King, part owner of a Philadelphia talent agency who's hopelessly intrigued by odd-ball acts and out-of work actors, in "The Jack Gi (1976)](https://film.one/media/person/285984/gallery-d117af9879a0.jpg) Jack Gilford stars as Larry King, part owner of a Philadelphia talent agency who's hopelessly intrigued by odd-ball acts and out-of work actors, in "The Jack Gi (1976) — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Jack_Gilford_1976_CBS_press_photo.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Actor Jack Gilford returns for another special guest visit on "Captain Kangaroo," award-winning children's series, Monday, Feb. 9 (8:00-9:00 AM, ET) on the CBS  (1976)](https://film.one/media/person/285984/gallery-0910f5d7d211.jpg) Actor Jack Gilford returns for another special guest visit on "Captain Kangaroo," award-winning children's series, Monday, Feb. 9 (8:00-9:00 AM, ET) on the CBS  (1976) — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Jack_Gilford_%22Captain_Kangaroo%22_%281976_CBS_press_photo%29.JPG/1280px-Jack_Gilford_%22Captain_Kangaroo%22_%281976_CBS_press_photo%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jack Gilford](https://film.one/media/person/285984/gallery-287481b85427.jpg) Jack Gilford — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Jack_Gilford_%22Captain_Kangaroo%22_%281974_CBS_press_photo%29.JPG/1280px-Jack_Gilford_%22Captain_Kangaroo%22_%281974_CBS_press_photo%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jack Gilford returns as a special guest playing Doctor Proctor's absent-minded doctor brother, Doctor Doctor and the fun begins when he makes a rare housecall a (1976)](https://film.one/media/person/285984/gallery-f2dc67e3b56c.jpg) Jack Gilford returns as a special guest playing Doctor Proctor's absent-minded doctor brother, Doctor Doctor and the fun begins when he makes a rare housecall a (1976) — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Jack_Gilford_%22Captain_Kangaroo%22_1976_CBS_press_photo.JPG/1280px-Jack_Gilford_%22Captain_Kangaroo%22_1976_CBS_press_photo.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jack Gilford](https://film.one/media/person/285984/gallery-4d08f1a311f8.jpg) Jack Gilford — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1974: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Save the Tiger*

### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical 1967: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/jack-gilford