CineScope
Lee J. Cobb picture

Lee J. Cobb

Acting
Known For

64 Years Old

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.

Born

New York City, New York, USA on 8th December 1911

Died

11th February 1976

All Credits

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Image
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Drifter - Frank MacKinnon
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Image
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Captain Andrew Watling
The DuPont Show with June Allyson Image
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Captain Maximillian Gault
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Image
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Studio One Image
Studio One
Dr. Joseph Pearson
The Ford Television Theatre Image
The Ford Television Theatre
Matt Erwin
Lights Out Image
Lights Out
McCloud Image
McCloud
Tales of Tomorrow Image
Tales of Tomorrow
The Oscars Image
The Oscars
Self
Tony Awards Image
Tony Awards
Willy Loman (archive footage)
No Image
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Ernie Wigman
Medic Image
Medic
Henry Fisher
No Image
Lux Video Theatre
Emile Zola
Gunsmoke Image
Gunsmoke
Col. Josiah Johnson
The Virginian Image
The Virginian
Ritcher Henry Garth
The Virginian Image
The Virginian
Richter Henry Garth
12 Angry Men Image
12 Angry Men
Juror 3
Naked City Image
Naked City
Paul Delito
The Exorcist Image
The Exorcist
Lt. Bill Kinderman
The Young Lawyers Image
The Young Lawyers
General Electric Theater Image
General Electric Theater
Grayson Foxhall
General Electric Theater Image
General Electric Theater
Dominic Roma
Origins of the Mafia Image
Origins of the Mafia
Bartolomeo Gramignano
On the Waterfront Image
On the Waterfront
Johnny Friendly
Mackenna's Gold Image
Mackenna's Gold
The Editor
How the West Was Won Image
How the West Was Won
Marshal Lou Ramsey
Coogan's Bluff Image
Coogan's Bluff
Lt. McElroy
Exodus Image
Exodus
Barak Ben Canaan
Man of the West Image
Man of the West
Dock Tobin
Lawman Image
Lawman
Vincent Bronson
Our Man Flint Image
Our Man Flint
Cramden
The Three Faces of Eve Image
The Three Faces of Eve
Doctor Curtis Luther
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Image
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Julio Madariaga
The Brothers Karamazov Image
The Brothers Karamazov
Fyodor Karamazov
Call Northside 777 Image
Call Northside 777
Brian Kelly
The Song of Bernadette Image
The Song of Bernadette
Dr. Dozous
In Like Flint Image
In Like Flint
Lloyd C. Cramden
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Image
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
Judge Bernstein
Sirocco Image
Sirocco
Col. Feroud
Captain from Castile Image
Captain from Castile
Juan Garcia
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist Image
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist
Self (archive footage)
They Came to Rob Las Vegas Image
They Came to Rob Las Vegas
Steve Skorsky
Buckskin Frontier Image
Buckskin Frontier
Jeptha Marr
The Dark Past Image
The Dark Past
Dr. Andrew Collins
The Trap Image
The Trap
Victor Massonetti
Golden Boy Image
Golden Boy
Mr. Bonaparte
Party Girl Image
Party Girl
Rico Angelo
The Day of the Owl Image
The Day of the Owl
Don Mariano Arena
The Left Hand of God Image
The Left Hand of God
Mieh Yang
The Meanest Men in the West Image
The Meanest Men in the West
Judge Henry Garth
The Road to Denver Image
The Road to Denver
Jim Donovan
The Moon Is Down Image
The Moon Is Down
Dr. Albert Winter
The Miracle of the Bells Image
The Miracle of the Bells
Marcus Harris
Anna and the King of Siam Image
Anna and the King of Siam
Kralahome
Thieves' Highway Image
Thieves' Highway
Mike Figlia
The Luck of the Irish Image
The Luck of the Irish
David C. Augur
Double Indemnity Image
Double Indemnity
Barton Keyes
The Man Who Cheated Himself Image
The Man Who Cheated Himself
Lt. Ed Cullen
Boomerang! Image
Boomerang!
Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing Image
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
Lapchance
Winged Victory Image
Winged Victory
Doctor
Macho Callahan Image
Macho Callahan
Duffy
Gorilla at Large Image
Gorilla at Large
Detective Sgt. Garrison
Green Mansions Image
Green Mansions
Nuflo
The Garment Jungle Image
The Garment Jungle
Walter Mitchell
The Bull of the West Image
The Bull of the West
Judge Garth
Paris Calling Image
Paris Calling
Captain Schwabe
Cross Shot Image
Cross Shot
Dante Ragusa
Come Blow Your Horn Image
Come Blow Your Horn
Harry R. Baker
The Phantom Creeps Image
The Phantom Creeps
Road Crew Foreman (archive footage)
Yankee Pasha Image
Yankee Pasha
Sultan
Nick the Sting Image
Nick the Sting
Robert Clark
The Racers Image
The Racers
Maglio
The Great Kidnapping Image
The Great Kidnapping
Jovine
Johnny O'Clock Image
Johnny O'Clock
Inspector Koch
Men of Boys Town Image
Men of Boys Town
Dave Morris
The Tall Texan Image
The Tall Texan
Capt. Theodore Bess
The Family Secret Image
The Family Secret
Howard Clark
But Not for Me Image
But Not for Me
Jeremiah MacDonald
Heat of Anger Image
Heat of Anger
Frank Galvin
The Liberation of L.B. Jones Image
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
Oman Hedgepath
Death of a Salesman Image
Death of a Salesman
Willy Loman
Day of Triumph Image
Day of Triumph
Zadok
Mark Shoots First Image
Mark Shoots First
Il commedator Benzi
The Balloon Vendor Image
The Balloon Vendor
Twenty Years
Dr. Max Image
Dr. Max
Maxwell Gordon
Blood, Sweat and Fear Image
Blood, Sweat and Fear
Benzi
Trapped Beneath the Sea Image
Trapped Beneath the Sea
Victor Bateman
This Thing Called Love Image
This Thing Called Love
Julio Diestro
That Lucky Touch Image
That Lucky Touch
Henry Steedman
The Great Ice Rip-Off Image
The Great Ice Rip-Off
Willy Calso
Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man Image
Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man
Himself
Danger on the Air Image
Danger on the Air
Tony Lisotti
Miami Exposé Image
Miami Exposé
Lt. Barton 'Bart' Scott
Rustlers' Valley Image
Rustlers' Valley
Cal Howard
The Final Hour Image
The Final Hour
Judge Henry Garth
The Phantom Creeps Image
The Phantom Creeps
Road Crew Foreman (uncredited)
Tonight We Raid Calais Image
Tonight We Raid Calais
Bonnard
North of the Rio Grande Image
North of the Rio Grande
President Wooden
The Brazen Bell Image
The Brazen Bell
Judge Henry Garth
The Fighter Image
The Fighter
Durango
The Devil's Children Image
The Devil's Children
Judge Henry Garth
The Vanishing Shadow Image
The Vanishing Shadow
Roadwork Foreman
No Image
Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane
Arthur Deeds
No Image
I, Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes / Don Quixote de la Mancha / Alonso Quijana