Phil Leeds
| Phil Leeds | |
|---|---|
 Leeds in Ghost | |
| Born |
April 6, 1916 New York City, New York, United States |
| Died |
August 16, 1998 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1949–1998 |
Phil Leeds (April 6, 1916 – August 16, 1998) was an American character actor.[1]
Career
Leeds was born on April 6, 1916, in New York City, the son of a post office clerk.[2] He started his career as a standup comedian and then went on to appear in several films and sitcoms including Rosemary's Baby, Beaches, All In The Family, Three's Company, Night Court, Wings, Ally McBeal, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Larry Sanders Show, and almost yearly appearances on Barney Miller; as well as making guest appearances on Car 54, Where Are You?, The Patty Duke Show, The Monkees, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Friends, Mad About You, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Golden Girls. At age 80, he appeared on an episode of Roseanne in which Roseanne finds herself drawn into a creepy '90s version of Rosemary's Baby (Leeds played the role of "Dr. Shand" in the original 1968 film). Leeds also memorably appeared as a friendly spirit in the 1990 film Ghost. His final role was a brief scene in Lost & Found (1999).
Leeds was blacklisted during the McCarthy era after pleading the fifth when examined by the House Un-American Activities Committee.[3][4]
Death
Leeds died of pneumonia on August 16, 1998, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles[1] at age 82. The November 9, 1998, episode of Ally McBeal, "Happy Trails," featured footage of his prior appearances on the show, eulogizing his character.
Filmography
- Rosemary's Baby (1968)
- Don't Drink the Water (1969)
- Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
- Mastermind (1976)
- History of the World, Part I (1981)
- Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie (1984)
- Saturday the 14th Strikes Back (1988)
- Beaches (1988)
- Cat Chaser (1989)
- Enemies, A Love Story (1989)
- Ghost (1990)
- He Said, She Said (1991)
- Soapdish (1991)
- Frankie and Johnny (1991)
- All I Want for Christmas (1991)
- Clean Slate (1994)
- Two Much (1995)
- Everybody loves Raymond (1996-1998)
- Krippendorf's Tribe (1998)
- Lost & Found (1999)
References
- 1 2 "Phil Leeds, 82, Comic on Stage and Screen.". The New York Times. August 21, 1998. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ↑ "Phil Leeds Biography ((?)-)". FilmReference.com. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
- ↑ https://books.google.ca/books?id=TPdWBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=%22phil+leeds%22+blacklist&source=bl&ots=2ZQkAQ2K_L&sig=gIXzfBeTLYMuOXBHwIPeyaSApRo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO_qrDpM_PAhVKxoMKHVODDUsQ6AEIMDAE#v=onepage&q=%22phil%20leeds%22%20blacklist&f=false
- ↑ http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/united-states-congress-house-committee-on-un-am/investigation-of-communist-activities-in-the-new-york-city-area-hearings-volum-tin-608/page-7-investigation-of-communist-activities-in-the-new-york-city-area-hearings-volum-tin-608.shtml