Barney Martin
| Barney Martin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 3, 1923 Queens, New York |
| Died | March 21, 2005 (aged 82) Studio City, California |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–2000 |
Barney Martin (March 3, 1923 – March 21, 2005) was an American actor, comedy writer and New York City Police Department detective. He is best known for playing Morty Seinfeld, father of Jerry, on the sitcom Seinfeld.
Born in Queens, New York, Martin served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a navigator during World War II and then was an NYPD officer for twenty years, working his way up to detective. He got his start as a comedian while still a police officer, giving humorous presentations to the deputy commissioners.
Martin once commented that many Jewish Seinfeld fans told him how much his character reminded them of their father. Martin himself was of Irish Catholic extraction.
Entering show business as a stand-in for Jackie Gleason in The Honeymooners in 1955-56 and as a part-time writer for Steve Allen in the 1950s, he was discovered by Mel Brooks in 1968, who cast him in The Producers. That year, he also played the role of Hank in Charly. He went on to act in dozens of films, including the role of Liza Minnelli's unemployed father in the hit 1981 film Arthur and its 1988 sequel, Arthur 2: On the Rocks.
...
Wikipedia