Maury Chaykin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maury Chaykin
Maury Chaykin in A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Born	Maury Alan Chaykin (1949-07-27)July 27, 1949 New York City, U.S.
Died	July 27, 2010(2010-07-27) (aged 61) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1968–2010
Spouse(s)	Ilana Frank (married ?–1993) Susannah Hoffmann (married ?–2010)
Children	1

Maury Alan Chaykin (born July 27, 1949 – died July 27, 2010) was a talented actor from both America and Canada. He was famous for playing the clever detective Nero Wolfe in the TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery.

Maury Chaykin was also known as a "character actor." This means he was great at playing many different kinds of interesting and unique characters in movies and TV shows. Some of his well-known films include WarGames, Dances with Wolves, My Cousin Vinny, and The Mask of Zorro. On television, he starred in the Canadian show Less Than Kind and appeared in many popular series like CSI and Stargate SG-1.

About Maury Chaykin's Life

Maury Chaykin was born in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, Irving J. Chaykin, was a professor who taught accounting. His mother, Clarice Chaykin, was born in Winnipeg, Canada, and later became a nurse. Maury's uncle, George Bloomfield, was also involved in movies and TV as a director and producer. He even directed Maury in some projects!

Maury grew up in New York City and studied acting at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Later, he moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he lived until he passed away. Maury was a citizen of both the United States and Canada. He was married to actress Susannah Hoffmann, and they had one daughter named Rose.

Maury Chaykin's Acting Career

Maury Chaykin was known for playing strong and sometimes loud supporting characters. One of his most important roles was playing the detective Nero Wolfe. He first played this character in a TV movie called The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery in 2000. This movie was so popular that it led to a weekly TV series, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, which ran for two seasons.

Early Film Successes

Two of Maury's early movie roles helped him become well-known. He played a computer programmer named Jim Sting in the 1983 movie WarGames. He also played Sam Tipton, a witness in the funny courtroom movie My Cousin Vinny. In 1990, he had a small but important part in the famous movie Dances with Wolves, where he played Major Fambrough.

Award-Winning Performances

In 1994, Maury Chaykin had his first main role in a movie called Whale Music. In this film, he played a rock star who was tired of his career. For this role, he won the Best Actor award at the 15th Genie Awards.

He also had a recurring role in the TV series Stargate SG-1 as an alien character named Nerus. This character's name was a fun reference to his role as Nero Wolfe! In 2003, Maury played a bookie named Frank Perlin in the movie Owning Mahowny. A famous movie critic, Roger Ebert, even called this film one of the ten best movies of that year.

Later Television Roles

In 2006, Maury won a Gemini Award for his guest role in the TV miniseries At the Hotel. He also had a recurring role in the HBO series Entourage. In this show, he played a movie producer named Harvey Weingard.

From 2008 to 2010, Maury Chaykin starred as Sam Blecher in the Canadian TV series Less Than Kind. Sam was the owner of a family driving school. Maury described Sam as "an out-of-control, good-hearted, big-hearted person who just can't quite get it right with his family." He said he loved playing Sam because he saw parts of himself in the character. After he passed away, Maury received the ACTRA Toronto Award for Outstanding Performance for his role as Sam Blecher in Less Than Kind.

Maury Chaykin's Passing

Maury Chaykin passed away in Toronto on July 27, 2010. It was his 61st birthday. He died from problems related to a heart valve infection.

Selected Works

Here are some of the plays and films Maury Chaykin was part of:

Theatre Performances

Selected Film and TV Roles

Awards and Recognition

Maury Chaykin received several awards for his acting:

• 1994: Won a Genie Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Whale Music.
• 1997: Won the National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble for The Sweet Hereafter.
• 1998: Won a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series for La Femme Nikita.
• 2006: Won another Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series for At the Hotel.
• 2009 & 2010: Won Canadian Comedy Awards for Best Performance by an Ensemble – Television for Less Than Kind.
• 2011: Won the ACTRA Toronto Award for Outstanding Performance – Male for Less Than Kind (awarded after his death).

Images for kids

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  Maury Chaykin in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Maury Chaykin para niños