Sam Jaffe

Biography: A frail, energetic character actor, Jaffe had a beak-like nose and unruly shocks of hair. In his early 20s he was a teacher, then dean of math at the Bronx Cultural Institute. In 1915 he began his stage career with the Washington Square Players, and over the next two decades appeared in many stage productions. In 1934 he debuted onscreen, going on to appear in films sporadically through the early '70s; he often played wise men. For his performance as a a criminal in The Asphalt Jungle (1950) he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. From 1960-64 he played Dr. David Zorba on the TV series Ben Casey, which also featured his wife, actress Bettye Ackerman.