Jack Gilford was born in Brooklyn, New York, as Yankel Gellman. He began his career in the Amateur Nights of the 1930s moving on to nightclubs as an innovative comedian doing satire and pantomime. He was a regular at the Greenwich Village nightspot, Cafe Society and hosted shows featuring 'Zero Mostel' , who won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance.
He and his wife, Madeline Lee , were blacklisted during the Hollywood Blacklist of the 1950s.
Biography in: "Whos Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 179-180. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
He was nominated for the Tony Award for his work in musicals: as Best Supporting or Featured Actor for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum".
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 325-327. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1999.
Nominated for the 1967 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Musical for "Cabaret".
Brother-in-law of Fran Lee.
You stay in the business longer. Even leading men who have been,character actors prolong their careers -- we all know character actors,who have been around for a long time. I was always a character actor. .
