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Lee J. Cobb‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1911-12-08

Popularity

star5.0

Lee J. Cobb

New York City, New York, USA

Lee J. Cobb

New York City, New York, USA

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1911-12-08

Popularity

star5.0

Biography

Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 - February 11, 1976) ) was an American actor best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men (1957), his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront, and one of his last films, 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.

Movie Credits

On the Waterfront

On the Waterfront‌
star7.9
calendar 1954

Exodus

Exodus‌
star6.6
calendar 1960

Thieves' Highway

Thieves' Highway‌
star7.3
calendar 1949

Sirocco

Sirocco‌
star6.0
calendar 1951

In Like Flint

In Like Flint‌
star6.1
calendar 1967

Our Man Flint

Our Man Flint‌
star6.4
calendar 1966

The Garment Jungle

The Garment Jungle‌
star6.4
calendar 1957

How the West Was Won

How the West Was Won‌
star7.0
calendar 1962

Party Girl

Party Girl‌
star6.8
calendar 1958

The Exorcist

The Exorcist‌
star7.7
calendar 1973

Call Northside 777

Call Northside 777‌
star6.6
calendar 1948

Come Blow Your Horn

Come Blow Your Horn‌
star4.8
calendar 1963

Coogan's Bluff

Coogan's Bluff‌
star6.3
calendar 1968

Tonight We Raid Calais

Tonight We Raid Calais‌
star5.4
calendar 1943

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit‌
star6.8
calendar 1956

The Three Faces of Eve

The Three Faces of Eve‌
star7.2
calendar 1957

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing‌
star5.8
calendar 1973

Lawman

Lawman‌
star6.6
calendar 1971

Miami Exposé

Miami Exposé‌
star5.3
calendar 1956

Man of the West

Man of the West‌
star6.6
calendar 1958

The Brothers Karamazov

The Brothers Karamazov‌
star6.6
calendar 1958

The Dark Past

The Dark Past‌
star5.8
calendar 1948

The Miracle of the Bells

The Miracle of the Bells‌
star6.1
calendar 1948

Anna and the King of Siam

Anna and the King of Siam‌
star6.1
calendar 1946

The Song of Bernadette

The Song of Bernadette‌
star7.0
calendar 1943

Golden Boy

Golden Boy‌
star6.4
calendar 1939

Captain from Castile

Captain from Castile‌
star7.2
calendar 1947

The Left Hand of God

The Left Hand of God‌
star6.3
calendar 1955

The Man Who Cheated Himself

The Man Who Cheated Himself‌
star6.2
calendar 1950

Mackenna's Gold

Mackenna's Gold‌
star6.5
calendar 1969

Johnny O'Clock

Johnny O'Clock‌
star6.1
calendar 1947

Boomerang!

Boomerang!‌
star6.9
calendar 1947

North of the Rio Grande

North of the Rio Grande‌
star6.0
calendar 1937

Rustlers' Valley

Rustlers' Valley‌
star6.0
calendar 1937

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse‌
star5.9
calendar 1962

The Trap

The Trap‌
star6.8
calendar 1959

Gorilla at Large

Gorilla at Large‌
star5.6
calendar 1954

The Great Kidnapping

The Great Kidnapping‌
star6.8
calendar 1973

Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity‌
star4.9
calendar 1973

The Day of the Owl

The Day of the Owl‌
star7.0
calendar 1968

The Liberation of L.B. Jones

The Liberation of L.B. Jones‌
star5.7
calendar 1970

Paris Calling

Paris Calling‌
star5.2
calendar 1941

But Not for Me

But Not for Me‌
star6.0
calendar 1959

They Came to Rob Las Vegas

They Came to Rob Las Vegas‌
star5.7
calendar 1968

The Luck of the Irish

The Luck of the Irish‌
star5.8
calendar 1948

The Bull of the West

The Bull of the West‌
star5.3
calendar 1972

The Moon Is Down

The Moon Is Down‌
star6.7
calendar 1943

Buckskin Frontier

Buckskin Frontier‌
star6.0
calendar 1943

Yankee Pasha

Yankee Pasha‌
star4.0
calendar 1954

The Vanishing Shadow

The Vanishing Shadow‌
star6.5
calendar 1934

The Racers

The Racers‌
star6.0
calendar 1955

The Meanest Men in the West

The Meanest Men in the West‌
star4.1
calendar 1978

Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist‌
star7.3
calendar 2023

Winged Victory

Winged Victory‌
star5.5
calendar 1944

Cross Shot

Cross Shot‌
star6.1
calendar 1976

The Road to Denver

The Road to Denver‌
star6.0
calendar 1955

This Thing Called Love

This Thing Called Love‌
star8.0
calendar 1940

The Great Ice Rip-Off

The Great Ice Rip-Off‌
star7.0
calendar 1974

Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman‌
star5.9
calendar 1966

The Family Secret

The Family Secret‌
star5.7
calendar 1951

Danger on the Air

Danger on the Air‌
star5.9
calendar 1938

The Tall Texan

The Tall Texan‌
star5.5
calendar 1953

The Balloon Vendor

The Balloon Vendor‌
star7.0
calendar 1974

Trapped Beneath the Sea

Trapped Beneath the Sea‌
star5.8
calendar 1974

The Fighter

The Fighter‌
star6.0
calendar 1952

The Phantom Creeps

The Phantom Creeps‌
star4.3
calendar 1939

Macho Callahan

Macho Callahan‌
star4.3
calendar 1971

Mark Shoots First

Mark Shoots First‌
star6.7
calendar 1975

Day of Triumph

Day of Triumph‌
star0.0
calendar 1954

Nick the Sting

Nick the Sting‌
star6.7
calendar 1976

The Final Hour

The Final Hour‌
star0.0
calendar 1965

The Devil's Children

The Devil's Children‌
star0.0
calendar 1962

The Brazen Bell

The Brazen Bell‌
star0.0
calendar 1964

That Lucky Touch

That Lucky Touch‌
star6.3
calendar 1975

Blood, Sweat and Fear

Blood, Sweat and Fear‌
star5.6
calendar 1975

I, Don Quixote

I, Don Quixote‌
star0.0
calendar 1959

Men of Boys Town

Men of Boys Town‌
star6.3
calendar 1941

Green Mansions

Green Mansions‌
star5.6
calendar 1959

Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man

Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man‌
star0.0
calendar 1970

Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane

Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane‌
star0.0
calendar 1944

Heat of Anger

Heat of Anger‌
star0.0
calendar 1972

12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men‌
star8.5
calendar 1957

Dr. Max

Dr. Max‌
star0.0
calendar 1974

The Phantom Creeps

The Phantom Creeps‌
star3.2
calendar 1949

Tv Credits

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke‌
star6.5
calendar 1955

Naked City

Naked City‌
star5.3
calendar 1958

Studio One

Studio One‌
star4.4
calendar 1948

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater‌
star5.5
calendar 1953

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse‌
star4.3
calendar 1958

The Virginian

The Virginian‌
star6.4
calendar 1962

McCloud

McCloud‌
star7.1
calendar 1970

Lux Video Theatre

Lux Video Theatre‌
star5.5
calendar 1950

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre‌
star5.2
calendar 1963

Medic

Medic‌
star5.6
calendar 1954

The Young Lawyers

The Young Lawyers‌
star5.0
calendar 1970

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre‌
star5.5
calendar 1956

Tales of Tomorrow

Tales of Tomorrow‌
star6.0
calendar 1951

Lights Out

Lights Out‌
star5.3
calendar 1949

The Oscars

The Oscars‌
star7.0
calendar 1953

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

The DuPont Show with June Allyson‌
star6.3
calendar 1959

Tony Awards

Tony Awards‌
star5.0
calendar 1956

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater‌
star5.5
calendar 1953

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre‌
star5.5
calendar 1956

The Virginian

The Virginian‌
star6.4
calendar 1962

Origins of the Mafia

Origins of the Mafia‌
star0.0
calendar 1976

The Ford Television Theatre

The Ford Television Theatre‌
star6.0
calendar 1952