Murray Gershenz | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 12, 1922 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 28, 2013 (aged 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1938–2013 (entrepreneur) 2001–2013 (acting) |
| Children | 3 |
Murray Gershenz (May 12, 1922 – August 28, 2013) was an American character actor and entrepreneur. He began his acting career late in life, at the age of 79, when he starred in a 2001 episode of Will & Grace. He went on to perform a variety of character roles in films and on television. As an entrepreneur, he operated the Music Man Murray record store in Los Angeles for more than 50 years.[1]
He acted in other television shows, such as Modern Family, The Sarah Silverman Program, Mad Men, Raising Hope, House, and Parks and Recreation.[2] He also appeared in films, such as I Love You, Man (2009), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), and The Hangover (2009), where he played Felix, an elderly man who fully disrobes in one scene.[2]
Gershenz was born in New York City on May 12, 1922, and raised in a Jewish household. An avid vinyl record collector, at the age of 16, he began collecting records, which turned into a $1.5 million stockpile of over 300,000 records for his shop located in West Adams, Los Angeles, California.[2]
Gershenz was quoted as saying, "You never stop buying because you never know what someone is going to want."[2] His desire to sell his collection became the subject of a 2011 documentary film, titled Music Man Murray, after his nickname and the name of his store.[2] Presumably as a direct result of worldwide festival audiences' exposure to the film, in June 2013, he sold the entire collection to a buyer either from New York City or Brazil, sources vary on this detail and neither he nor the family have ever publicly released this information.
Gershenz died of a heart attack on August 28, 2013, aged 91, in Los Angeles.[2]