Joseph Wiseman (May 15, 1918 – October 19, 2009) was a Canadian-American theatre, film, and television actor. He starred as the
villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
Julius No
Dr. Julius No is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1958 ''James Bond'' novel and its 1962 film adaptation '' Dr. No'', the first of the series, in which he was portrayed by Joseph Wiseman.
Novel biography
The 1958 novel '' D ...
in the first
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
film, ''
Dr. No,'' in 1962. He was also known for his role as crime boss Manny Weisbord on the television series ''
Crime Story'' and his lengthy career on
Broadway, where he was once called "the spookiest actor in the American theatre".
Early life
Wiseman was born in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
,
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, Canada, to
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
parents Louis and Pearl Wiseman and was raised in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. At age 16, he began performing in summer stock and became professional, which displeased his parents.
He was an alumnus of
John Adams High School,
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
,
New York, and graduated June 1935, as was his ''Dr. No'' co-star,
Jack Lord.
Career
Wiseman made his
Broadway debut in 1938, playing a small part in
Robert E. Sherwood's ''
Abe Lincoln in Illinois''. Among the many productions he appeared in live theatre were the title role in ''In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer'' on
Broadway in 1968, and the role of Father Massieu in the original Broadway production of ''
Joan of Lorraine'', the
Maxwell Anderson
James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist.
Anderson faced many challenges in his career, frequently losing jobs for expressing his opinions or supporting ...
play which eventually became the film ''
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
''.
Wiseman appeared in several films in the 1950s. He made his first major film appearance in 1951's ''
Detective Story'', where he recreated his performance from Broadway as an unstable small-time hood. Soon after, he played
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia'' 's archenemy in ''
Viva Zapata!
''Viva Zapata!'' is a 1952 American biographical Western film directed by Elia Kazan, dramatizing the life of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata from his peasant upbringing through his rise to power in the early 1900s and his death in 1919. I ...
'' (1952). Wiseman's role as the titular
Dr. No in the first James Bond film by
Eon Productions
Eon Productions Limited is a British film production company that primarily produces the ''James Bond'' film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the UK.
''James Bond'' films
Eon wa ...
was a decision of producer
Harry Saltzman, who cast Wiseman in the role in December 1961. It was Wiseman's performance in ''
Detective Story'' that gained him the part. (Later in his life, he viewed the film with disdain, and preferred to be remembered for his theater career.)
In 1967, he was cast as Billy Minsky's father in ''
The Night They Raided Minsky's''; later he appeared opposite
Sir Laurence Olivier in ''
The Betsy'' (1978). Wiseman had roles in a wide variety of other films: ''
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'', ''
Seize the Day'', ''
Bye Bye Braverman''. In addition to being a regular on the series ''
Crime Story'', he had guest-starring and cameo roles in TV series including ''
The Westerner''; ''
The Streets of San Francisco''; ''
The Untouchables''; ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'' ("
One More Pallbearer"); ''
Magnum, P.I.''; ''
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''; and ''
Night Gallery
''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...
''. His last film was released in 1988, though he appeared in TV shows such as ''
MacGyver
Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...
'', ''
L.A. Law
''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher for NBC. It ran for eight seasons and List of L.A. Law episodes, 172 episodes from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.
The series cente ...
'', and ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
'' after that time. Wiseman's last appearance on television was the supporting role of Seymour Bergreen on a 1996 episode of ''Law & Order'' titled "Family Business". His last Broadway appearance was in ''
Judgment at Nuremberg'' in 2001.
Following the death of
Charles Gray in 2000, Wiseman was the last surviving main
villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
of the James Bond films that
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...
made for
United Artists
United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...
.
Personal life and death
Wiseman married Nell Kinard on August 25, 1943, in New York, but they eventually divorced May 15, 1964, in Durham, NC.
He was married to dancer, teacher and choreographer
Pearl Lang from 1964 until her death in February 2009.
He had a daughter with Kinard, Martha Graham Wiseman.
Despite his many on-screen performances as the "heavy", Wiseman was a
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
scholar who travelled extensively, giving readings from Yiddish and Jewish literature. He died on October 19, 2009, at his home in Manhattan, at the age of 91, having been in declining health for some time.
Filmography
* ''
With These Hands'' (1950) as Mike Deleo
* ''
Detective Story'' (1951) as Charley Gennini
* ''
Viva Zapata!
''Viva Zapata!'' is a 1952 American biographical Western film directed by Elia Kazan, dramatizing the life of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata from his peasant upbringing through his rise to power in the early 1900s and his death in 1919. I ...
'' (1952) as Fernando Aguirre
* ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
'' (1952) as Genflou
* ''
Champ for a Day'' (1953) as Dominic Guido
* ''
The Silver Chalice'' (1954) as Mijamin
* ''
The Prodigal'' (1955) as Carmish
* ''
Three Brave Men
''Three Brave Men'' is a 1956 American drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Ray Milland, Ernest Borgnine and Frank Lovejoy.
The film was based on real-life events arising in Greenbelt, Maryland,Knepper, Cathy D. ''Greenbelt, Maryla ...
'' (1956) as Jim Barron
* ''
The Garment Jungle'' (1957) as George Kovan
* ''
The Unforgiven'' (1960) as Abe Kelsey
* ''
The Happy Thieves'' (1961) as Jean Marie Calbert
* ''
Dr. No'' (1962) as
Dr. Julius No
* ''
Bye Bye Braverman'' (1968) as Felix Ottensteen
* ''
The Counterfeit Killer'' (1968) as Rajeski
* ''
The Night They Raided Minsky's'' (1968) as Louis Minsky
* ''
Stiletto
A stiletto (plural stilettos) is a specialized dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, primarily intended as a thrusting and stabbing weapon.Limburg, Peter R., ''What's In The Names Of Antique Weapons'', Coward, McCann & Geoghega ...
'' (1969) as Emilio Matteo
* ''
The Mask of Sheba'' (1970) as Bondelok
* ''
Lawman'' (1971) as Lucas
* ''
The Valachi Papers'' (1972) as Salvatore Maranzano
* ''
Pursuit'' (1972) as Dr. Nordmann
* ''
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1974) as Benjy Kravitz
* ''
Journey into Fear'' (1975) as Col. Haki
* ''
Murder at the World Series'' (1977) as Sam Druckman
* ''
The Betsy'' (1978) as Jake Weinstein
* ''
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' (1979) as Draco
* ''
Jaguar Lives!'' (1979) as Ben Ashir
* ''
Masada
Masada ( ', 'fortress'; ) is a mountain-top fortress complex in the Judaean Desert, overlooking the western shore of the Dead Sea in southeastern Israel. The fort, built in the first century BCE, was constructed atop a natural plateau rising ov ...
'' (1981) as Jerahmeel
* ''
Seize the Day'' (1986) as Dr. Adler
TV (Selected)
* ''
The Untouchables'': Episode: "The Antidote" (1961) as Russell Shield
* ''
The Untouchables'': Episode: "The Tommy Karpeles Story" (1961) as Albert Maris
* ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'': Episode: "
One More Pallbearer" (1962) as Paul Radin
* ''
Wagon Train
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...
'': Episode: "The Santiago Quesada Story" (1964) as Jim Case
* ''Men of the Dragon'' (1974 ABC Movie of the Week) as Balashev
* ''
QB VII'' (1974, Mini-series) as Morris Cady
* ''Zalmen or the Madness of God (1975, Broadway Theatre Archive) as Rabbi
* ''
Greatest American Hero'': Episode: "Don't Mess Around with Jim" (1981) as James J. Beck
* ''
Magnum, P.I.'': Episode: "Birdman of Budapest" (1983) as Dr. Albert Tessa
* ''
A-Team'': Episode: "The Bells of St. Mary's" (1984) as Zeke Westerland
* ''
The Equalizer'': Episode: "
The Confirmation Day" (1985) as Eddie Vanessi
* ''
Crime Story'' (1988) as Manny Weisbord
* ''
MacGyver
Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...
'': Episode: "The Battle of Tommy Giordano" (1989) as Joe Catano
* ''
L.A. Law
''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher for NBC. It ran for eight seasons and List of L.A. Law episodes, 172 episodes from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.
The series cente ...
'': Episode: "Finish Line" (1994) as Isidore Schoen
* ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
'': Episode: "
Family Business
A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by Consanguinity , blood, marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business a ...
" (1996) as Seymour Bergreen (final appearance)
References
External links
*
*
*
The O'Neill Theater Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiseman, Joseph
1918 births
2009 deaths
Jewish Canadian film people
Jewish American film people
20th-century Canadian male actors
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Canadian male film actors
Anglophone Quebec people
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
Male actors from Montreal
Male actors from Manhattan
Université de Montréal alumni
John Adams High School (Queens) alumni
Canadian male stage actors
Canadian male television actors
Jewish American male actors
Jewish Canadian male actors