Lee J. Cobb
Known for Acting · 103 credits
- Born
- 1911-12-08
- Died
- 1976-02-11
- Place of birth
- New York City, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Lee Colt · Leo Jacoby · Cpl. Lee Cobb · Lee Cobb · Ли Дж. Кобб · لی جی. کاب
Biography
Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 — February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his performances in On the Waterfront (1954), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, 12 Angry Men (1957), and The Exorcist (1973). He also played the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan. On television, Cobb costarred in the first four seasons of the popular, long-running western series The Virginian. He typically played arrogant, intimidating, and abrasive characters, but often had roles as respectable figures such as judges. Born Leo Jacob in New York City, he grew up in The Bronx, before studying at New York University and making his film debut in The Vanishing Shadow (1934). Cobb performed in numerous theater productions and companies, including Group Theatre (New York) before serving in the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Force during World War II.
Following the war, Cobb returned to film, television and theater before being accused of being a Communist in 1951 testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee by Larry Parks, himself a former Communist Party member. Cobb was called to testify before HUAC but refused to do so for two years until, with his career threatened by the blacklist, he relented in 1953 and gave testimony in which he named 20 people as former members of the Communist Party USA. Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses", on the 1954 film On the Waterfront, which is widely seen as an allegory and apologia for testifying. His 1968 performance as King Lear achieved the longest run (72 performances) for the play in Broadway history. One of his final film roles was that of police detective Lt. Kinderman in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist.
Cobb died of a heart attack in February 1976 in Woodland Hills, California, and was buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was survived by his second wife, Mary Hirsch, and daughter, also an accomplished actress, Julie Cobb.
Known For
The Virginian
1962
as Richter Henry Garth / Ritcher Henry Garth
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
as Ernie Wigman
Tony Awards
1956
as Willy Loman (archive footage)
Studio One
1948
as Dr. Joseph Pearson
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Captain Andrew Watling / Drifter - Frank MacKinnon
Naked City
1958
as Paul Delito
TV Shows (19)
The Virginian
1962
as Richter Henry Garth / Ritcher Henry Garth
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
as Ernie Wigman
Tony Awards
1956
as Willy Loman (archive footage)
Studio One
1948
as Dr. Joseph Pearson
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Captain Andrew Watling / Drifter - Frank MacKinnon
Naked City
1958
as Paul Delito
Gunsmoke
1955
as Col. Josiah Johnson
Lights Out
1949
McCloud
1970
as Alexander Montello
The Oscars
1953
as Self
The Ford Television Theatre
1952
as Matt Erwin
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Tales of Tomorrow
1951
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Emile Zola
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Captain Maximillian Gault
Medic
1954
as Henry Fisher
General Electric Theater
1953
as Dominic Roma / Grayson Foxhall
Origins of the Mafia
1976
as Bartolomeo Gramignano
The Young Lawyers
1970
Movies (84)
12 Angry Men
1957
as Juror 3
The Exorcist
1973
as Lt. Bill Kinderman
On the Waterfront
1954
as Johnny Friendly
How the West Was Won
1962
as Marshal Lou Ramsey
Exodus
1960
as Barak Ben Canaan
Mackenna's Gold
1969
as The Editor
The Three Faces of Eve
1957
as Doctor Curtis Luther
Coogan's Bluff
1968
as Lt. McElroy
The Brothers Karamazov
1958
as Fyodor Karamazov
Man of the West
1958
as Dock Tobin
Party Girl
1958
as Rico Angelo
Lawman
1971
as Vincent Bronson
The Song of Bernadette
1943
as Dr. Dozous
Sirocco
1951
as Col. Feroud
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
1956
as Judge Bernstein
In Like Flint
1967
as Lloyd C. Cramden
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
1962
as Julio Madariaga
Our Man Flint
1966
as Cramden
Green Mansions
1959
as Nuflo
Boomerang!
1947
as Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson
Thieves' Highway
1949
as Mike Figlia
Winged Victory
1944
as Doctor
Golden Boy
1939
as Mr. Bonaparte
The Trap
1959
as Victor Massonetti
Macho Callahan
1971
as Duffy
They Came to Rob Las Vegas
1968
as Steve Skorsky
The Miracle of the Bells
1948
as Marcus Harris
The Dark Past
1948
as Dr. Andrew Collins
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
1973
as Lapchance
The Man Who Cheated Himself
1950
as Lt. Ed Cullen
Call Northside 777
1948
as Brian Kelly
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
1970
as Oman Hedgepath
The Meanest Men in the West
1978
as Judge Henry Garth
Captain from Castile
1947
as Juan Garcia
The Phantom Creeps
1939
as Road Crew Foreman (archive footage)
The Day of the Owl
1968
as Don Mariano Arena
Anna and the King of Siam
1946
as Kralahome
Yankee Pasha
1954
as Sultan
The Left Hand of God
1955
as Mieh Yang
The Luck of the Irish
1948
as David C. Augur
The Garment Jungle
1957
as Walter Mitchell
Paris Calling
1941
as Captain Schwabe
The Family Secret
1951
as Howard Clark
Men of Boys Town
1941
as Dave Morris
The Bull of the West
1972
as Judge Garth
Double Indemnity
1973
as Barton Keyes
The Moon Is Down
1943
as Dr. Albert Winter
The Fighter
1952
as Durango
The Tall Texan
1953
as Capt. Theodore Bess
Johnny O'Clock
1947
as Inspector Koch
Death of a Salesman
1966
as Willy Loman
The Road to Denver
1955
as Jim Donovan
Cross Shot
1976
as Dante Ragusa
Come Blow Your Horn
1963
as Harry R. Baker
Blood, Sweat and Fear
1975
as Benzi
Trapped Beneath the Sea
1974
as Victor Bateman
Gorilla at Large
1954
as Detective Sgt. Garrison
Miami Exposé
1956
as Lt. Barton 'Bart' Scott
Dr. Max
1974
as Maxwell Gordon
The Vanishing Shadow
1934
as Roadwork Foreman
Heat of Anger
1972
as Frank Galvin
Danger on the Air
1938
as Tony Lisotti
Mark Shoots First
1975
as Il commedator Benzi
Nick the Sting
1976
as Robert Clark
Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man
1970
as Himself
This Thing Called Love
1940
as Julio Diestro
The Balloon Vendor
1974
as Twenty Years
But Not for Me
1959
as Jeremiah MacDonald
That Lucky Touch
1975
as Henry Steedman
The Great Ice Rip-Off
1974
as Willy Calso
Tonight We Raid Calais
1943
as Bonnard
The Racers
1955
as Maglio
The Great Kidnapping
1973
as Jovine
The Final Hour
1965
as Judge Henry Garth
Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane
1944
as Arthur Deeds
The Devil's Children
1962
as Judge Henry Garth
Buckskin Frontier
1943
as Jeptha Marr
The Brazen Bell
1964
as Judge Henry Garth
Day of Triumph
1954
as Zadok
Rustlers' Valley
1937
as Cal Howard
North of the Rio Grande
1937
as President Wooden
The Phantom Creeps
1949
as Road Crew Foreman (uncredited)
Arthur Miller on Home Ground
1979
I, Don Quixote
1959
as Miguel de Cervantes / Don Quixote de la Mancha / Alonso Quijana
About Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 — February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his performances in On the Waterfront (1954), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, 12 Angry Men (1957), and The Exorcist (1973). He also played the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan. On television, Cobb costarred in the first four seasons of the popular, long-running western series The Virginian. He typically played arrogant, intimida… With 103 credits spanning from 1934 to 1979, Lee J. Cobb has appeared in 84 films and 19 TV shows.
Fans searching for Lee J. Cobb movies, Lee J. Cobb filmography, or the latest projects starring Lee J. Cobb can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Lee J. Cobb Movies
- 12 Angry Men (1957) — as Juror 3
- The Exorcist (1973) — as Lt. Bill Kinderman
- On the Waterfront (1954) — as Johnny Friendly
- How the West Was Won (1962) — as Marshal Lou Ramsey
- Exodus (1960) — as Barak Ben Canaan
Where to Watch Lee J. Cobb Films
Most Lee J. Cobb movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Lee J. Cobb, check our movies catalogue and browse page.