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Judd Seymore Hirsch (born March 15, 1935) is an American stage, television and screen actor.

He portrays Leonard's father, Alfred Hofstadter, first appearing in the Season 9 finale of The Big Bang Theory, The Convergence Convergence. Judd is best known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi (TV Series), John Lacey on the NBC series Dear John (TV Series), and Alan Eppes on the CBS series Numb3rs (2005–2010). He has also been in the films Ordinary People (1980), Running on Empty (1988), Independence Day (1996), and A Beautiful Mind (2001).

He has twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, has twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Family and Personal life[]

Hirsch was born in The Bronx, a borough of New York City, the son of Sally (née Kitzis) and Joseph Sidney Hirsch, an electrician. Hirsch's father was born in New York, to a German Jewish father, Benjamin Hirsh, and an English-born mother, Rosa Hirsch (née Benjamin), whose family were Dutch Jews. Hirsch's mother was born in Russia, also to a Jewish family. Hirsch has a brother named Roland Hirsch.

He grew up in both Brooklyn and the Bronx, but graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School, located in The Bronx, in 1952, and later earned a degree in physics from City College of New York.

After graduating from college, Hirsch served a tour in the United States Army. Hirsch worked as an engineer for Westinghouse before he found work in the theater.

Hirsch had a child with his first wife, Elisa Sadaune, whom he was with from 1956 to 1967. He was married to his second wife, fashion designer Bonni Sue Chalkin, from 1992 to 2005.

Hirsch has three children. Son Alexander was born in 1966 with Elisa. From his second marriage, Hirsch has a daughter Montana and son London.

Filmography[]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1971 Jump Unknown Uncredited
1973 Serpico Cop Uncredited
1978 King of the Gypsies Groffo
1980 Ordinary People Dr. Tyrone C. Berger Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

1983 Without a Trace Detective Al Manetti
1984 The Goodbye People Arthur Korman
1984 Teachers Roger Rubell
1988 Running on Empty Arthur Pope/Paul Manfield
1996 Independence Day Julius Levinson
1999 Out of the Cold Leon Axelrod
1999 Man on the Moon Alex Rieger Uncredited cameo
2001 A Beautiful Mind Dr. Helinger Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2004 Zeyda and the Hitman Gideon Schub
2006 Brother's Shadow Leo Groden
2011 Tower Heist Mr. Simon
2011 The Muppets Himself Cameo
2011 This Must Be the Place Mordecai Midler
2013 Altered Minds Dr. Nathan Shellner
2016 Independence Day: Resurgence Julius Levinson
2017 The Meyerowitz Stories L.J. Shapiro
2019 Uncut Gems Gooey
2022 The Fabelmans
TBA Hollywood Stargirl Mr. Mitchell
TBA Showing Up
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1974 The Law Murray Stone Television movie
1975 The Law Murray Stone 3 episodes
1975 Fear on Trial Saul Television movie
1975 Medical Story Dr. Joe Dempsey Episode: "Waste Land"
1975 The Legend of Valentino Jack Auerbach Television movie
1976 The Keegans Lieutenant Marco Ciardi Television movie
1976 Visions Joe Morris Episode: "Two Brothers"
1977 Rhoda Mike 2 episodes: "Rhoda Likes Mike", "The Weekend"

Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

1976–1977 Delvecchio Sergeant Dominick Delvecchio 22 episodes
1979 Sooner or Later Bob Walters Television movie
1979 The Halloween That Almost Wasn't Count Dracula Television movie
1980 Marriage Is Alive and Well Herb Rollie Television movie
1980 The Last Resort Dr. Zegelman Episode: "Zegelmania"
1981 The Robert Klein Show Unknown Television movie
1983 Lights: The Miracle of Chanukah Unknown Television movie
1978–1983 Taxi Alex Reiger 114 episodes

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1981, 1983) Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1979–1983) Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1979–1980, 1982)

1985 Detective in the House Press Wyman 6 episodes
1985 First Steps Dr. Jerrold Petrofsky Television movie
1985 Brotherly Love Ben Ryder/Harry Brand Television movie
1988–1992 Dear John John Lacey 90 episodes

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1989) Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1990)

1988 The Great Escape II: The Untold Story Capt. David Matthews Television movie
1990 She Said No Martin Knapek Television movie
1994 Betrayal of Trust Dr. Jules Masserman Television movie
1996 Caroline in the City Ben Karinsky Episode: "Caroline and the Comic"
1997 Color of Justice Sam Lind Television movie
1997–1998 George and Leo Leo Wagonman 22 episodes
1999 Rocky Marciano Al Weill Television movie
2000 Welcome to New York Dr. Bob Episode: "Dr. Bob"
2001 Family Law Daniel Bonner Episode: "Security"
2002 Philly Rabbi Nathan Wexler Episode: "The Curse of the Klopman Diamonds"
2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Judah Platner Episode: "Mercy"
2003 Regular Joe Baxter Binder 5 episodes
2003 Street Time Shimi Goldman Episode: "High Holly Roller"
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Ben Elkins Episode: "Pravda"
2003 Who Killed the Federal Theatre Narrator Television movie
2005 Family Guy Himself (voice) Episode: "Blind Ambition"
2006 Tom Goes to the Mayor Prisoner (voice) Episode: "Spray a Carpet or Rug"
2006 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Wes Mendell Episode: "Pilot"
2009 American Dad! Rabbi (voice) 2 episodes
2005–2010 Numb3rs Alan Eppes 114 episodes
2010 Warehouse 13 Isadore Weisfelt Episode: "Secret Santa"
2011–2012 Damages Bill Herndon 14 episodes
2012 The Good Wife Judge Harrison Creary Episode: "Here Comes the Judge"
2013–2015 Maron Larry Maron 4 episodes
2014 Sharknado 2: The Second One Ben Television movie
2014–2015 Forever Abraham "Abe" Morgan 22 episodes
2014 Small Miracles Mort 4 episodes
2015–2021 The Goldbergs Ben "Pop-Pop" Goldberg 8 episodes
2016 The Big Bang Theory Dr. Alfred Hofstadter 2 episodes
2016 Family Guy Himself (voice) Episode: "Take a Letter"
2017–2018 Superior Donuts Arthur Przybyszewski 34 episodes
2018 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Joseph Edelman Episode: "Alta Kockers"
2019–2020 Big Mouth Lewis Glouberman (voice) 2 episodes
2019 Modern Love Cop, Vendor, Taxi Driver Episode: "Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am"
2020 God Friended Me Abe Episode: "A New Hope"
2020 Hunters Simon Wiesenthal Episode: "The Jewish Question"
2020 A Deadly Legend Carl Turner Television movie
Theatre
Year Title Role Notes
1963 Barefoot in the Park Telephone Man
1972–1973 The Hot l Baltimore Bill Lewis Best American Play - New York Drama Critics' Circle

Best American Play - Obie Award

1976 Knock Knock Multiple roles Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
1977–1978 Chapter Two George Schneider Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play
1980 Talley's Folly Matt Friedman Nominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play

Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play

1985–1988 I'm Not Rappaport Nat Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
1992–1993 Conversations with My Father Eddie Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
1996 A Thousand Clowns Murray Burns
1998–1999 Art Marc
2002 I'm Not Rappaport Nat
2004 Sixteen Wounded Hans

References[]

v · e · d
Cast Regulars Johnny Galecki  ‧  Jim Parsons  ‧  Kaley Cuoco  ‧  Simon Helberg  ‧  Kunal Nayyar  ‧  Mayim Bialik  ‧  Melissa Rauch  ‧  Kevin Sussman  ‧  Laura Spencer  ‧  Sara Gilbert  ‧ 
Recurring/Minor Christine Baranski  ‧  Aarti Mann  ‧  John Ross Bowie  ‧  Casey Sander  ‧  Stephen Merchant  ‧  Sara Rue  ‧  Kara Luiz  ‧  Brian Thomas Smith  ‧  Margo Harshman  ‧  Alessandra Torresani  ‧  Matt Bennett  ‧  Keith Carradine  ‧  Laurie Metcalf  ‧  Judd Hirsch  ‧  Carol Ann Susi  ‧  Brian George  ‧  Alice Amter  ‧  Courtney Henggeler  ‧  June Squibb  ‧  Katey Sagal  ‧  Jack McBrayer  ‧  Dean Norris  ‧  Brian Posehn  ‧  Mark Harelik  ‧  Joshua Malina  ‧  Brian Patrick Wade  ‧  Kate Micucci  ‧  Regina King  ‧  Jerry O'Connell
As Selves Wil Wheaton  ‧  Mike Massimino  ‧  Stephen Hawking  ‧  Kip Thorne  ‧ Katee Sackhoff  ‧ Steve Wozniak  ‧ Buzz Aldrin  ‧ Summer Glau  ‧ James Earl Jones  ‧ Carrie Fisher  ‧  Brent Spiner  ‧ Howie Mandel  ‧ Bill Nye  ‧ George Smoot  ‧ George Takei  ‧ LeVar Burton  ‧ Neil deGrasse Tyson  ‧ Brian Greene  ‧ Charlie Sheen  ‧ Stan Lee  ‧ Adam West  ‧  Mark Hamill  ‧ Kevin Smith  ‧  William Shatner  ‧  Joe Manganiello  ‧  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar  ‧  Sarah Michelle Gellar
also as Cast The Big Bang Theory : Full cast & crew on IMDb
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