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Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:59 am
by nitishsingh
Just saw a headline for the death of Nehemiah Persoff at the age of 102.
He played Rabbi Asher in the the 5th season episode Torah, Torah, Torah.
The scene of him telling Magnum of his shared history with Higgins was one of my favorites.
The usually by the book Jonathan Quayle Higgins allows a boat of Jewish refugees to escape without punishment:
"I was obeying a higher law that does not permit me to shoot unarmed refugees."
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 3:03 am
by Luther's nephew Dobie
I am so sorry to hear about this. He has been a part of my TV world since I was a kid. He must hold a record for most appearances on series TV.
He was also a well received painter.
He was outstanding in the Route 66 episode "First Class Mouliak" with Martin Balsam and Robert Redford, a beautifully rendered drama
filmed on location in Ohio. Great writing on a series noted for it.
He also appeared in the Route 66 episode "Incident on a Bridge", also very good.
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 4:51 am
by NotthatRick
Wonderful actor. May he Rest In Peace.
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 5:51 am
by Styles Bitchley
Wow. That’s a long life! Thanks for letting us know.
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 2:26 pm
by MagnumsLeftShoulder
He may have been the ultimate "Hey, it's that guy!"
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 5:16 pm
by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)
Wow! I just came across his age a few days ago and noticed that he was 102 and still alive. And now he's gone. He lived a long and full life. He was the ultimate character actor and his 6 (yes,
SIX!!!) Hawaii Five-O appearances are all outstanding!!
Check out this interview. Amazing how lucid and clear he still was in his old age.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuG4ycA4weU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrVlWOPCDDg
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:36 pm
by Little Garwood
Persoff was seemingly in every 1960s and ‘70s TV show (wish he’d done
Star Trek), and he was
always a welcome presence..I second Ivan’s comment regarding Persoff’s
Hawaii Five-O roles.
Deathwatch is my favorite. If I ever get another cat, I’m tempted to name him after Persoff’s character, “Harry Cardonus.”
That Persoff omnipresence was such that I laughed out loud at Robert Conrad’s remark in his
Wild, Wild West DVD commentary that Persoff “didn’t do a lot of TV.”
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2022 5:39 pm
by Chris109
Little Garwood wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:36 pm
That Persoff omnipresence was such that I laughed out loud at Robert Conrad’s remark in his
Wild, Wild West DVD commentary that Persoff “didn’t do a lot of TV.”
Funny that you mentioned Robert Conrad. Decades TV is showing Hawaiian Eye all weekend.
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 2:02 am
by Luther's nephew Dobie
Chris109 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 5:39 pm
Little Garwood wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:36 pm
That Persoff omnipresence was such that I laughed out loud at Robert Conrad’s remark in his
Wild, Wild West DVD commentary that Persoff “didn’t do a lot of TV.”
Funny that you mentioned Robert Conrad. Decades TV is showing Hawaiian Eye all weekend.
In the NYC area they stopped showing reruns of Hawaiian Eye when I was around 8. Still we kids would imitate the opening credits with the cast lined up surfing, going
down the steep Maye Hill in winter in a line on our sleds, yelling "Hawaiian Eyyyyyyyyye, eye! Da dada da, da dada da!"
I have seen maybe 3 episodes here and there as an adult, till this week when MeTV Plus debuted on Comcast, and the Decades binge this weekend you noted.
It's much better than I anticipated, and I can see how Connie Stevens singing and charisma made her a star.
There are crossovers with 77 Sunset Strip plus throwaway lines referring to Kookie or his comb here and there.
MeTV Plus runs Hawaii 5-0, 77 Sunset Strip and Hawaiian Eye in a bloc nightly.
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 5:41 am
by Keleko
102! May you rest in peace, Mr. Persoff.
I had just watched Torah, Torah, Torah a few weeks ago. His story of his first encounter with Higgins and subsequent encounter in London was very emotional, as was the scene at the end in the graveyard. Great acting. What a fantastic episode!
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 4:05 pm
by T.Q.
Wow, what a run.
Born two years after my Grandmother who died in 1995.
RIP
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 7:48 pm
by Pahonu
Little Garwood wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:36 pm
Persoff was seemingly in every 1960s and ‘70s TV show (wish he’d done
Star Trek), and he was
always a welcome presence..I second Ivan’s comment regarding Persoff’s
Hawaii Five-O roles.
Deathwatch is my favorite. If I ever get another cat, I’m tempted to name him after Persoff’s character, “Harry Cardonus.”
That Persoff omnipresence was such that I laughed out loud at Robert Conrad’s remark in his
Wild, Wild West DVD commentary that Persoff “didn’t do a lot of TV.”
Persoff was in the pilot of TWWW, and two other episodes! I’ve never heard that comment from Conrad but I agree with you that Persoff was all over TV from the 60’s to the 80’s. From The Twilight Zone, to Gilligan’s Island, to Rawhide, to I Spy and beyond, he did it all!
Re: Passing of actor Nehemiah Persoff aka Rabbi Asher
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 7:57 pm
by Pahonu
Luther's nephew Dobie wrote: ↑Sun Apr 10, 2022 2:02 am
Chris109 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 5:39 pm
Little Garwood wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:36 pm
That Persoff omnipresence was such that I laughed out loud at Robert Conrad’s remark in his
Wild, Wild West DVD commentary that Persoff “didn’t do a lot of TV.”
Funny that you mentioned Robert Conrad. Decades TV is showing Hawaiian Eye all weekend.
In the NYC area they stopped showing reruns of Hawaiian Eye when I was around 8. Still we kids would imitate the opening credits with the cast lined up surfing, going
down the steep Maye Hill in winter in a line on our sleds, yelling "Hawaiian Eyyyyyyyyye, eye! Da dada da, da dada da!"
I have seen maybe 3 episodes here and there as an adult, till this week when MeTV Plus debuted on Comcast, and the Decades binge this weekend you noted.
It's much better than I anticipated, and I can see how Connie Stevens singing and charisma made her a star.
There are crossovers with 77 Sunset Strip plus throwaway lines referring to Kookie or his comb here and there.
MeTV Plus runs Hawaii 5-0, 77 Sunset Strip and Hawaiian Eye in a bloc nightly.
I watched the pilot and a couple of others yesterday and this morning and haven’t really been able to get into it. I just erased the few others I DVR’d.
I think knowing they filmed everything at Warner’s in Burbank (not so far from me) rather than Hawaiian locations may be clouding my judgement.
