Joseph Wiseman | |
|---|---|
 Wiseman in 1950 | |
| Born | May 15, 1918 |
| Died | October 19, 2009 (aged 91) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–2001 |
| Spouse(s) |
Nell Kinard
(m. 1943; div. 1964) |
| Children | 1[1] |
Joseph Wiseman (May 15, 1918 – October 19, 2009) was a Canadian-American theatre, film, and television actor who starred as the villain Julius No in the first James Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962. Wiseman was also known for his role as Manny Weisbord on the TV series Crime Story and his career on Broadway. He was once called "the spookiest actor in the American theatre".[2]
Wiseman was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to parents Louis and Pearl Wiseman and was raised in New York City, United States.[3] At age 16, he began performing in summer stock and became professional, which displeased his parents.
He was an alumnus of John Adams High School, Queens, New York, and was graduated June 1935,[4] as was his Dr. No co-star, Jack Lord.
Wiseman made his Broadway debut in 1938, playing a small part in Robert E. Sherwood's Abe Lincoln in Illinois. Among the many productions he appeared in live theatre, were the title role in In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer on Broadway in 1968, and the role of Father Massieu in the original Broadway production of Joan of Lorraine, the Maxwell Anderson play which eventually became the film Joan of Arc.
Wiseman appeared in several films in the 1950s. He made his first major film appearance in 1951's Detective Story, where he recreated his performance from Broadway as an unstable small-time hood. Soon after, he played Marlon Brando's archenemy in Viva Zapata! (1952). Wiseman's role as the titular Dr. No in the first James Bond film by Eon Productions was a decision of producer Harry Saltzman, who cast Wiseman in the role in December 1961. It was Wiseman's performance in Detective Story that gained him the part.[5] (Later in his life, he viewed the film with disdain, and preferred to be remembered for his theater career.[6])
In 1967, he was cast as Billy Minsky's father in The Night They Raided Minsky's; later he appeared opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in The Betsy (1978). Wiseman had roles in a wide variety of other films: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Seize the Day, Bye Bye Braverman. In addition to being a regular on the series Crime Story, he had guest-starring and cameo roles in TV series including The Westerner; The Streets of San Francisco; The Untouchables; The Twilight Zone ("One More Pallbearer"); Magnum, P.I.; Buck Rogers in the 25th Century; and Night Gallery. His last film was released in 1988, though he appeared in TV shows such as MacGyver, L.A. Law, and Law & Order after that time. Wiseman's last appearance on television was the supporting role of Seymour Bergreen on a 1996 episode of Law & Order titled "Family Business". His last Broadway appearance was in Judgment at Nuremberg in 2001.
Following the death of Charles Gray in 2000, Wiseman was the last surviving main villain of the James Bond films that Sean Connery made for United Artists.
Wiseman married Nell Kinard on August 25, 1943, in New York, but they eventually divorced May 15, 1964, in Durham, NC.[7] He was married to dancer, teacher, and choreographer Pearl Lang from 1964 until her death in February 2009. Wiseman died on October 19, 2009, at his home in Manhattan aged 91, having been in declining health for some time.[8] He is survived by his daughter, Martha Graham Wiseman, and his sister, Ruth Wiseman.
