Martin Balsam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Balsam
Balsam in the 1960s
Born	Martin Henry Balsam (1919-11-04)November 4, 1919 New York City, U.S.
Died	February 13, 1996(1996-02-13) (aged 76) Rome, Italy
Resting place	Cedar Park Cemetery, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma mater	The New School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1947–1995
Notable work	See list
Spouse(s)	Pearl Somner ​ ​ (m. 1951; div. 1954)​ Joyce Van Patten ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1962)​ Irene Miller ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1987)​
Children	3, including Talia
Awards	See list

Martin Henry Balsam (born November 4, 1919 – died February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He was known for playing many different kinds of characters in movies, plays, and TV shows. He was one of the first members of the Actors Studio, a famous acting school.

Martin Balsam started his acting journey on stage in New York. He won a special award called a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in the play You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running in 1968. He also won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his acting in the movie A Thousand Clowns (1965).

Some of his most famous movie roles include Juror #1 in 12 Angry Men (1957) and the private detective Milton Arbogast in Psycho (1960). He also played Hollywood agent O.J. Berman in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Mr. Green in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). On TV, he was Dr. Milton Orloff in Dr. Kildare (1963–66) and Murray Klein in Archie Bunker's Place (1979–83).

Besides his Oscar and Tony awards, Balsam was also nominated for other big awards like the BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Emmy Award. He was the father of actress Talia Balsam, whose mother was Joyce Van Patten.

Early life and education

Martin Henry Balsam was born on November 4, 1919, in the Bronx, a part of New York City. His parents, Lillian and Albert Balsam, were Jewish immigrants from Russia. His father made clothes for women.

Martin went to DeWitt Clinton High School, where he enjoyed being part of the drama club. After high school, he studied acting at the Dramatic Workshop in New York. From 1941 to 1945, during World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Forces. He was a sergeant and worked as a radio operator on a B-24 plane in the China-Burma-India area.

Career highlights

Martin Balsam (right) on the set of Unknown Soldier, 1995

Theatre performances

Martin Balsam first acted professionally in August 1941 in a play called The Play's the Thing. After World War II, he returned to acting in New York.

In 1947, he became a member of the Town Hall Players, a summer theatre group. In 1948, he was chosen by famous director Elia Kazan to join the new Actors Studio. He performed often in plays both on and off Broadway. In 1968, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running.

Television roles

Balsam appeared in many TV shows. He was in early drama series like Actors Studio and Danger. He also appeared in popular shows like The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

He played Dr. Rudy Wells in the TV movie pilot for The Six Million Dollar Man (1973). He also had a regular role as Murray Klein on the TV show Archie Bunker's Place for two seasons. He made guest appearances in many other shows, including Murder, She Wrote and Quincy, M.E..

Film roles

Martin Balsam's first movie role was a small part in On the Waterfront (1954). His big break came a few years later when he played Juror #1 in 12 Angry Men (1957). He worked with that film's director, Sidney Lumet, two more times.

In 1960, he played the memorable role of private investigator Arbogast in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Psycho. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Arnold Burns in A Thousand Clowns (1965). Balsam also recorded the original voice for the HAL 9000 computer in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, the director decided his voice sounded "too American" and hired a different actor for the final film.

He appeared in many other important films like Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Seven Days in May (1964), Catch-22 (1970), and All the President's Men (1976). He was also a popular actor in Italian films, starting in 1960. He often played police or detective roles in these movies.

Personal life

Martin Balsam was married three times. His first wife was actress Pearl Somner, from 1951 to 1954. His second wife was actress Joyce Van Patten. They were married from 1958 to 1962 and had one daughter, Talia Balsam. His third wife was Irene Miller, from 1963 to 1987. They had two children, Adam and Zoe.

Death

Martin Balsam passed away on February 13, 1996, at the age of 76. He died from a stroke while on vacation in Rome, Italy. He is buried in Cedar Park Cemetery in New Jersey.

Awards and honors

Academy Awards

Tony Awards

See also

In Spanish: Martin Balsam para niños