Jerry Orbach's Biography
Jerry Orbach is best known for his role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in Law and Order. He had acted for twelve years in the hit show, whose creator, Dick Wolf, said of Orbach's passing:
"I'm immensely saddened by the passing of not only a friend and colleague, but a legendary figure of 20th-century show business. He was one of the most honored performers of his generation. His loss is irreplaceable."
Orbach had just left the series to work on the spin-off, Law and Order: Trial by Jury, keeping the Lennie Briscoe role.
He was born into the world of entertainment. His father performed on vaudeville and his mother had sung on the radio.
Before taken on the role in Law and Order, for which Jerry Orbach was nominated for an Emmy for best actor 2002, he had acted in a number of important roles on Broadway.
He starred in many successful musicals, including: Carnival, Promises, Promises (for which he won a Tony award), and 42nd Street.
It was on another stage show, Chicago, that he met Elaine Cancilla, whom he married in 1979.
Orbach also acted in such movies as Dirty Dancing, Last Exit to Brooklyn, and Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors.
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