Godspeed Ron Leibman

Ron Leibman, who appeared in such films as The Super Cops (1974) and Norma Rae (1979) and starred in the short-lived television show Kaz, died on December 6 2019 at the age of 82. The cause was complications from pneumonia.

Ron Leibman was born on October 11 1937 in Manhattan, New York City. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University. In the late Fifties he was a member of the Compass Players. He studied acting at the Actors Studio. He made his debut on Broadway in Dear Me, the Sky is Falling. That same year he appeared on Broadway in Bicycle Ride to Nevada. In the Sixties he also appeared in the productions We Bombed in New Haven and Cop-Out. He returned to Broadway in 1980 in I Ought to Be in Pictures. In the Eighties he appeared in the productions Doubles and Rumors. In the Nineties he appeared in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika. He won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play and the Tony Award for Best Actor for the former.

Ron Leibman made his television debut in a guest appearance on The Edge of Night in 1956. In the Sixties he guest starred on The DuPont Show of the Week and Hawk. In the Seventies he starred on the short-lived drama Kaz. He guest starred on Police Story. He appeared in the TV movies The Art of Crime and A Question of Guilt.  In the Eighties he guest starred on the shows Comedy Factory, Aaron's Way, and Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in the TV movies Many Happy Returns and Christmas Movie.

In the Nineties Mr. Leibman starred on the TV show Pacific Station, Central Park West, and Holding the Baby. He appeared in a recurring role in four episode of Friends into the Naughts. He was a guest voice on the animated shows Fish Police; Duckman, Private Dick; and Rugrats. He guest starred on Law & Order. In the Naughts he continued to appear on Holding the Baby. He guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Practice, and The Sopranos. He was the voice of Ron Cadillac on the animated series Archer.

Ron Leibman made his movie debut in Where's Poppa? in 1970. In the Seventies he appeared in the films The Hot Rock (1972), Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), Your Three Minutes Are Up (1973), The Super Cops (1974), Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), Norma Rae (1979), and Up the Academy (1980). In the Eighties, Mr. Leibman appeared in the films Zorro: The Gay Blade (1981), Phar Lap (1983), Romantic Comedy (1983), Door to Door (1984), Rhinestone (1984), and Seven Hours to Judgement (1988). In the Nineties he appeared in the films Night Falls on Manhattan (1996) and Just the Ticket (1998). In the Naughts he appeared in the films Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002), Dummy (2002), Auto Focus (2002), and Garden State (2004). His final film was A Little Help in 2010.

If Ron Leibman had success on Broadway, television, and in film, it was because he was an extremely talented actor. He could play in a variety of genres, and during his career his roles ranged from comedy to drama. He gave a stand out performance as union organizer Reuben Warshowsky in the drama Norma Rae, as well as driver Murch in the comedy caper movie The Hot Rock. He did so well as former convict turned defence attorney Martin "Kaz" Kazinsky on the TV show Kaz that he won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama. Few actors see success on the stage, television, and in the movies. Ron Leibman had the talent to do so.