Lee J. Cobb

The actor Lee J. Cobb was born Leo Jacoby in New York City on December 8, 1911.  His parents were Jewish of Russian and Romanian origin.

Interested in acting, Cobb ran away from home to Hollywood at 16 years of age.  Eventually, he returned to New York and studied accounting at NYU.

Later, Cobb moved again to California this time to study acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.   He made his film debut at 23.  

Cobb was featured in the 1939 film Golden Boy as William Holden's father.  He was 28 while Holden was 21.  Cobb often played much older characters.

I also remember Lee J. Cobb in The Song of Bernadette (1943), Call Northside 777 (1948), On The Waterfront (1954), The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), 12 Angry Men (1957), The Three Faces of Eve (1957), Exodus (1960), Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962) and The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973).

Cobb was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (for On The Waterfront and for The Brothers Karamazov in 1958).  He won the Oscar neither time.

Cobb died of a heart attack on February 11, 1976 (48 years ago) at the age of sixty-four.  He was memorable.