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The Odd Couple
Background:
After making a name for himself on the New York stage and several major TV
series of the 1950s and 60s, three-time Emmy Award-winning, American actor Jack
Klugman achieved the peaked of his powers during early to mid ‘70s for
portraying the affable but tremendously slack Oscar Madison in the long-running
television version of “The Odd Couple” (ABC, 1970-1975), in which he nabbed two
Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe award. The accomplished performer received his
first Emmy Award in 1964 for his outstanding appearance in an episode of “The
Defenders.” Klugman gained additional fame and appreciation with his role as the
medical examiner in the well-liked series “Quincy, M.E.” (1976-1983), from which
he picked up a Golden Cable Award, in addition to several Emmy nominations. As a
movie character actor, Klugman was the quintessence of the everyman. He has
built up a productive career by appearing in such vehicles as Sidney Lumet’s
Twelve Angry Men (1957), Cry Terror! (1958), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), The
Detective (1968), Goodbye, Columbus (1969, earned a BAFTA nomination), Garry
Marshall’s Dear God (1996) and When Do We Eat? (2005).
Recently, in November 2006, the Tony nominee performed in a play by James Sweet,
“The Value of Names,” at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ.
Off camera, Klugman released Tony And Me: A Story of Friendship in 2005, a book
about his long companionship with his Odd Couple co-star Tony Randall. Klugman
mentioned Randal as his best friend that he ever had. He also informed about
their lengthy working affiliation and how good Randall had been to him following
his cancer surgery.
As for his married life, the actor married “Match Game” regular Brett Somers
from 1953 until their separation in 1974. He then had a long-term relationship
with Barbara Neugass (together from 1974 to 1992), and as of 1988, has lived
with Peggy Crosby, the former wife of Bing Crosby’s son, Phillip Crosby. Klugman
is the father of three children, Adam, David and Leslie, from his marriage with
Brett Somers.
Jacob Joachim
Childhood and Family:
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jacob Joachim Klugman, who would later be famous
as Jack Klugman, was born on April 27, 1922. He majored in drama at Carnegie
Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and trained at the American
Theatre Wing. Jack is the brother of Deborah Klugman, a writer known for her
work in “Quincy M.E.” (1976), and Maurice Klugman, a producer who died in May 8,
1981, in Santa Monica, California.
In 1953, Jack was married to actress Brett Somers (born on July 11, 1924, in New
Brunswick, Canada). They had two sons, Adam Klugman and David Klugman, and a
daughter, Leslie, before splitting up in 1974. Jack and Brett were never
divorced.
Quincy, M.E
Career:
27-year-old Jack Klugman made his stage debut in the Equity Library Theatre
production of “Stevedore.” A struggling actor in New York City, the
Philadelphia-born shared a room with another fellow hopeful actor, Charles
Bronson, until the two went to better and bigger things. During television’s
so-called “Golden Age,” Klugman acted in various TV shows, including “The U.S.
Steel Hour” (1954-1956), “Studio One” (1955-1958) and “Alfred Hitchcock
Presents” (1957). After an extensive television performance, he segued into film
acting in 1956 with a supporting part in the 1956 crime/drama Time Table,
starring and directed by Mark Stevens, and went on to appear in the classic 50s
NY films like Sidney Lumet’s Twelve Angry Men (1957) and Andrew L. Stone’s Cry
Terror! (1958). Two years later, he found himself originating the role of Herbie
in the 1960 Broadway production of “Gypsy,” co-starring Ethel Merman. He was
nominated for a 1960 Tony for Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for
his work in the play.
After a string of guest appearances, such as playing Alfy Tiloff in six episodes
of “Naked City” (1959-1963) and Captain Paul Ross in several episodes of “The
Twilight Zone” (1960-1963), as well as performing in such films as Blake
Edwards’ Days of Wine and Roses (1962), Klugman delivered a memorable guest turn
as Joe Larch in the TV series “The Defenders” in the 1964 classic “Blacklist”
episode. The role brought him an Emmy in Outstanding Single Performance by an
Actor in a Leading Role category. The same year, he also starred in his first
sitcom, the short-lived Harris Against the World,” as Alan Harris. For the
reminder of the decade, the busy performer took on guest roles in many TV shows
and appeared in three movies, including The Detective (1968), starring Frank
Sinatra, and Goodbye, Columbus (1969), in which he netted a BAFTA nomination for
his scene-stealing role of Ben Patimkin.
Kicking off the 1970s, Klugman experienced a huge breakthrough when he recreated
his stage role of Oscar Madison, opposite Tony Randall as Felix Unger, for the
television comedy series “The Odd Couple.” During the show’s five years run
(from 1970-75) , he won two Emmy for Outstanding Continued Performance by an
Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series in 1970 and 1973 and a Golden Globe
for Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy in 1974. With such notable accomplishment,
Klugman subsequently became a household name.
A year after the hit show departed the airwaves, Klugman scored another success
with the NBC cult favorite “Quincy, M.E.” (1976-1983). As R. Quincy, the
crusading, oratory LA County Coroner’s Office medical examiner, he won a Golden
Cable (Germany) for Favorite TV Doctor and received four Emmy nominations for
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. After guest starring in episodes of
“The Love Boat” (1985), the actor again headlined the 1986 sitcom “You Again?,”
playing the alienated father of John Stamos. Unfortunately for Klugman, the show
had a short life. During that period, he also starred in the Broadway production
of “I’m Not Rappaport.”
In 1989, Klugman’s career was deeply endangered when he was forced to undergo
throat surgery due to cancer of the larynx that had been diagnosed since 1974.
After the operation, he took several years hiatus for recovery and in 1993, made
his return by reprising the role of Oscar Madison for an Odd Couple reunion
special, “The Odd Couple: Together Again” (CBS). Since then, he has acted in
television films like Parallel Lives (1994) and The Twilight of the Golds (1997)
and for such TV shows as “Diagnosis Murder” (1997-1999), “Brother’s Keeper”
(1999), “The Outer Limits” (2000), “Crossing Jordan” (2000) and “Third Watch”
(2000). He also played Jemi in the Garry Marshall-directed comedy Dear God
(1996), starring Greg Kinnear, and costarred with Michael Lerner and Lesley Ann
Warren in the Jewish comedy When Do We Eat? (2005).
The stage-trained actor could also be found in such plays as a Broadway revival
of “The Sunshine Boys” (1998), opposite Tony Randall, and a Burbank production
of “Death of a Salesman” (also 1998), as Willy Loman. In September 2003, he
performed one-man show “An Evening with Jack Klugman” at the Falcon Theatre in
Burbank, California, and more recently, in November 2006, appeared in James
Sweet’s “The Value of Names” at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick,
NJ.
Awards:
