Biography
Phil Leeds (1916–1998) was an American character actor. Born Philip Lebowitz in New York City, he studied at City College of New York and served in the US Army during the Second World War. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in the Borscht Belt before moving into acting on stage, film and television.
Leeds appeared in films including Rosemary's Baby (1968) as Dr. Shand, History of the World: Part I (1981) as the Chief Monk, Ghost (1990) as the Emergency Room Ghost, Beaches (1988) and Frankie and Johnny (1991). On television he had guest roles in series such as Friends (1996) as Mr. Adelman, Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–1998) as Uncle Mel, The Golden Girls (1985) and Boy Meets World (1993). He was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and later resumed steady work in Los Angeles.
