Leonard Birman (born September 28, 1932) is a Canadian American actor, who began his career in Montreal. In his 45 years on stage, screen and radio, he has portrayed a wide variety of characters, including some choice roles in classical and contemporary theatre.

Early life and career

Birman was born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

, Canada, the second son of Maurice Lieb Birman, who was a millinery designer, and Anna Birman, a marriage that lasted 70 years. He graduated from

Baron Byng High School Baron Byng High School was an English-language public high school on Saint Urbain Street in Montreal, Quebec, opened by Governor General of Canada Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy in 1921. The school was attended largely by working-class J ...

in 1949 as class president, and within months he was captivated by the stage and the discovery of being naturally at home on it. He had been a good student and now had no interest at all in continuing on to college. His earliest influences came by way of the STAGE series, the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the governme ...

's radio productions of original plays and international classics beginning in the early 1940s. As a longtime fan, he was honoured and humbled to be joining the remaining members of the troupe when he moved to Toronto in 1962. He soon became a mainstay, playing dozens of pivotal roles. Coincidental with his first appearances in community theatre (1955), CBC/Radio Canada announced plans for their first live English and French television series to be produced in Montreal. Called ''Dateline'' on the English-language channel and ''Je Me Souviens'' on the French-language channel, it aired on alternate Friday nights with the same cast. His audition won him his first TV role. Birman's film experience began almost simultaneously with the arrival of The

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

to new headquarters and studios in Montreal. That, together with CBC's new television activity, presented the possibility of acting as a vocation. Until then, radio drama was the only ongoing paid professional work, and Birman was to be married in September 1956. By that time, Birman, together with George Bloomfield, director, and M. Charles Cohen, playwright, created

Domino Productions Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

, a stage ensemble for which Birman produced, played leading roles and exercised his innate talent for art by designing the sets, posters and programs. As a youngster, he had thought he would study art in Paris but his inclination toward theatre proved more persuasive. He had already contributed skits to various annual Variety shows, including

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

's ''Red And White Revue'',

YMHA A Jewish Community Center or a Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is a general recreational, social, and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities. JCCs promote Jewish culture and heritage through holiday celebrations, ...

′s ''Variety Gang'' and

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish pe ...

's ''Notes To You''. Birman spearheaded the founding of Café André's ''Up Tempo'', a highly successful satirical revue, which was the first of its kind in Canada and ran well into the 1960s. Busy with Domino, he also made TV appearances in minor roles on CBC's Dorchester Theatre, Explorations, Théâtre Populaire, Shoestring Theatre, Les Plouffes, A Midsummer Theatre, and in 44 episodes of CBC's first filmed series, ''The Adventures of Radisson'', which was known as ''Tomahawk'' on American television. At this time (1955–57), he appeared in three films for the NFB's ''Perspective'' series, and performed his first leading role in a teleplay called ''Etc...'', which grew out of Domino and was written by Cohen and directed by Bloomfield for Guest Stage. In 1957, Domino's rehearsal schedule of ''A View From The Bridge'' came to a sudden end when it was learned that the American touring company of the same play, starring Luther Adler, was due for a limited run at Her Majesty's Theatre and that casting of the minor roles would be done locally. Birman was cast as Mike and later in the tour played Rodolpho, the role he was earlier slated to play with Domino. The following year, he rejoined the company of ''A View From The Bridge'' for the pre-Broadway tour of what was to be the first presentation of the extended version of Arthur Miller's one-act play. It closed in Washington. That summer Birman went off to Nantucket to play the role of Macbeth. Later that year he was invited to join New York's Institute for Advanced Study In Theatre Arts under the tutelage of Jacques Charron of Comédie Française, Paris, Yuri Zavadsky of Moscow Art Theatre, and Willie Schmidt of Schiller Theatre, Berlin. On television in New York (1958-1963), he appeared on Armstrong Circle Theatre, Robert Herridge Theatre, All Family Classics, Dupont Show of the Month, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Actors TV Theatre, The Witness. Among these were roles in ''Cyrano de Bergerac'', ''The Three Musketeers'', ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'', and ''The Prisoner of Zenda''. Birman's first U.S. screen credit was for a role on ''Naked City''. Birman has also instructed advanced acting students and coached professional actors. He served as guest lecturer and/or instructor at the

National Theatre School of Canada The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS, french: École nationale de théâtre du Canada) is a private institution of professional theatre studies in Montreal, Quebec. Established in 1960, the NTS receives its principal funding from grants aw ...

Manitoba School of Theatre and Allied Arts , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Win ...

The Okanagan Summer Arts Festival ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

and

The Hub of Hollywood ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

Theatre (1955-1995)

*''Anne of a Thousand Days'' – Thomas Cromwell *''Ring Around The Moon'' – Messerschmann *''Picnic'' - Hal Carter, his first professional role. Birman was paid $20. *''Craig's Wife'' - Eugene *''Arsenic and Old Lace'' - Officer Klein *''Another Part of the Forest'' - Ben Hubbard *''A View From The Bridge'' - Mike / Rodolpho *''Bullfight'' - Domingo Salamanca *''The Three Sisters'' - Vershinin *''Macbeth'' - Macbeth *''Love and Intrigue'' - Worm *''Compulsion'' - Dr. McNarry *''Death of a Salesman'' - Howard Wagner / Biff *''Do You Know The Milky Way?'' -The Man *(1962-1964): Member of the company of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Theatre, Ontario, including appearance at

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin ...

, England (then under

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage o ...

) *''The Tempest'' - Adrian *''Macbeth'' - Caithness/Macbeth *''Cyrano de Bergerac'' - Understudy Cyrano/Actor/ First Cadet/ *''Troilus and Cressida'' - Prologue / Diomedes *''Timon of Athens'' - A Painter *''Richard Second'' - Duke of Aumerle *''King Lear'' - Duke of Burgundy / A Gentleman *''A Streetcar Named Desire'' - Stanley Kowalski *''A Yard of Sun'' - Roberto Bruno *''Romeo and Juliet'' - Mercutio *''The Sound of Music'' - Captain Georg Von Trapp *''The Dybbuk'' - Rabbi Ezrielka *''Wild Rose'' - Moses Lefthand *''Tartuffe'' - Cleante *''Sarcophagus'' - Doctor Sergeyev *''Bitter Friends'' - Schaeffer *''A Shadow of Cypress'' - The Man *''Heloise and Abelard, The Letters'' - Abelard *''My Fair Lady'' - Professor Henry Higgins

Film and television

Birman is best known for his roles in feature films, including Harry Herman, the father in ''

Lies My Father Told Me ''Lies My Father Told Me'' is a 1975 Canadian drama film made in Montreal, Quebec. It was directed by Ján Kadár and stars Jeffrey Lynas as an orthodox Jewish boy growing up in 1920s Montreal. The film received the Golden Globe Award for Best F ...

'' (1975), which was the Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Film (1976), Papa in ''

The Great Brain ''The Great Brain'' is a series of children's books by American author John Dennis Fitzgerald (1906–1988). Set in the small town of Adenville, Utah, between 1896 and 1898, the stories are loosely based on Fitzgerald's childhood experiences. Ch ...

'' (1977), and FBI Chief Donaldson in '' Silver Streak''. His first appearances before the film camera were for the National Film Board of Canada's Perspective Series in ''The Editor'', ''First Novel'', and ''Lafontaine'' (1956,1957). He appeared as himself in ''30 Minutes Mr. Plummer'' (1963), for which he wrote and voiced the narrations in French and English. From 1955 to 1975, Birman appeared in dozens of shows for CBC television on Folio,

Guest Stage Guest or The Guest may refer to: * A person who is given hospitality * Guest (surname), people with the surname ''Guest'' * USS ''Guest'' (DD-472), U.S. Navy ''Fletcher''-class destroyer 1942–1946 * Guest appearance, guest actor, guest star, et ...

Eyeopener Eyeopener are a United Kingdom, British dance music, dance group active since 2003. Their first hit record, hit, a Cover version, cover of Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes", reached No. 16 on the UK Singles Chart and No.7 on the Scottish Singles Char ...

, Seaway, Forest Rangers, A Midsummer Theatre, On Camera, GM Theatre, Festival, Encounter, Rainbow Country, The Collaborators, CBC Television Theatre, Festival Concert Series,

Shoestring Theatre Shoelaces, also called shoestrings (US English) or bootlaces (UK English), are a system commonly used to secure shoes, boots, and other footwear. They typically consist of a pair of strings or cords, one for each shoe, finished off at both end ...

Teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

, and Quest. Many of his roles were in original plays as well as familiar ones such as Eilif in ''

Mother Courage Mother Courage (German ''Mutter Courage'') is a character from a Grimmelshausen novel ''Lebensbeschreibung der Ertzbetrügerin und Landstörtzerin Courasche'' (''The Runagate Courage'') dating from around 1670. The character had played a cameo ro ...

'', Brutus in '' Julius Caesar'', Eilert Lovborg in ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'', Charles Bentham in ''

Juno and the Paycock ''Juno and the Paycock'' is a play by Seán O'Casey. Highly regarded and often performed in Ireland, it was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924. It is set in the working-class tenements of Dublin in the early 1920s, during the Ir ...

'', Grace in '' The Brig'', Victor in ''

Yerma ''Yerma'' is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1934 and first performed that same year. García Lorca describes the play as "a tragic poem." The play tells the story of a childless woman living in rural ...

'', Nick in ''

For Want of Something Better To Do For or FOR may refer to: English language *For, a preposition *For, a complementizer *For, a grammatical conjunction Science and technology * Fornax, a constellation * for loop, a programming language statement * Frame of reference, in phys ...

'', Lord Mountararat in ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'', Kourchaev in '' Diary of a Scoundrel'', King John in '' King John and the Magna Carta'', The Man in '' Last To Go'',''The Applicant'', ''

Gladly Otherwise "Gladly" is a song by British musician Tirzah. It was produced by Mica Levi. The single was released on 3 March 2018. Reception The track has been met with positive reviews by music critics such as '' Pitchfork'' and The Guardian. Music vid ...

'', Brother Ladvenu in '' The Lark'', Valentine in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins V ...

''.

Filmography

*'' Naked City'' (1962, TV Series) as Dr. Clyde (uncredited) *'' The Forest Rangers'' (1963-1965, TV Series) as John Connequeese / Benton / Amik *'' Seaway'' (1965, TV Series) as Woody Threerivers *''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. The soap, which aired on ...

'' (1965, TV Series) as Judge Milton Bartlett (1992) *'' Heloise and Abelard'' (1965) as Theo *''

Judd, for the Defense ''Judd, for the Defense'' is an American legal drama originally broadcast on the ABC network on Friday nights from September 8, 1967, to March 21, 1969. Synopsis The show stars Carl Betz, who had previously spent eight years in the role of Dr. ...

'' (1967, TV Series) as Lloyd Wasson *'' It Takes a Thief'' (1968, TV Series) as Prince Cesare di Montefiore *''

Cowboy in Africa ''Cowboy in Africa'' is an ABC television series produced in 1967–1968 by Ivan Tors and starring Chuck Connors. A 1966 television pilot turned into a movie and released to cinemas starring Hugh O'Brian as Jim Sinclair was called ''Africa Texas ...

'' (1968, TV Series) as Dr. Lawson *''

Adventures in Rainbow Country ''Adventures in Rainbow Country'' was a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television in the 1970-71 TV season. Reruns were later shown on the American children's cable channel Nickelodeon during the early 1980s. A half hour family d ...

'' (1969, TV Series) as Clements *''

Great Jury Trials Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

'' (1970) as Lawrence Darr *'' Dr. Simon Locke'' (also known as ''Police Surgeon'') (1971-1972, TV Series) as Lt Dan Palmer *'' This Is the Life'' (1972, TV Series) as Latimer *''Turncoat'' (1973, TV Movie) as Leo *''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

'' (1974, TV Series) as Michael Truman *''

'' (1975) as Harry Herman *'' Silver Streak'' (1976) as Chief Donaldson *'' Most Wanted'' (1976, TV Series) as Gil Slade *''

Serpico ''Serpico'' is a 1973 American neo-noir biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino in the title role. The screenplay was adapted by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from the book of the same name written by P ...

'' (1977, TV Series) as Gene Rincon *''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'' (1977, TV Series) as David Bradley, US Marshal *'' The Rhinemann Exchange'' (1977, TV Mini-Series) as Asher Feld *'' The Man Inside'' (1977, TV Movie) as Paint *'' Young Dan'l Boone'' (1977, TV Series) as Duval *''

Killer on Board A killer is someone or something that kills, such as a murderer or a serial killer. Killer may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Killer (''Home and Away''), a character from ''Home and Away'' * Killer Ka ...

'' (1977, TV Movie) as Marvin Luck *''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resou ...

'' (1977, TV Series) as Positive 14 / Brawn *''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is r ...

'' (1978, TV Series) as Chilton Kane *''

Escapade Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) is a planned spacecraft mission to Mars consisting of two spacecraft known as ''Blue'' and ''Gold''. The mission, expected to launch in August 2024, is part of NASA's SIMPLEx progr ...

'' (1978, TV Movie) as Arnold Tolliver *''

'' (1978) as Papa Fitzgerald *'' Evening in Byzantium'' (1978, TV Mini-Series) as Leonardo *'' The Paper Chase'' (1978, TV Series) as Prof. Dudley Rolfe *''

Sword of Justice A sword of justice is a ceremonial sword that is used to signify a monarch's supreme judicial power. In some cases, this may have been an executioner's sword that was no longer used for executions, becoming instead a ceremonial one. The Crown Je ...

'' (1978, TV Series) as Nicholi *''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1 ( cover dated March 1941) from T ...

'' (1979, TV Movie) as Dr. Simon Mills *''

A Man Called Sloane ''A Man Called Sloane'' is an American secret agent adventure television series that aired on NBC during the 1979–1980 television season. It was a Woodruff Production in association with QM Productions and became the final series produced by Q ...

'' (1979, TV Series) as Forbes *'' Captain America II: Death Too Soon'' (1979, TV Movie) as Dr. Simon Mills *''

B. J. and the Bear ''B.J. and the Bear'' is an American action comedy television series which aired on NBC from February 10, 1979, to May 9, 1981. Created by Glen A. Larson and Christopher Crowe, the series stars Greg Evigan. The series was produced when the CB ...

'' (1980-1981, TV Series) as Leonard Marker / Harry Tyser *'' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' (1981, TV Series) as Admiral Zite *''

Knots Landing ''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...

'' (1981, TV Series) as Salmaggio *''

Nero Wolfe Nero Wolfe is a brilliant, obese and eccentric fictional armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe was born in Montenegro and keeps his past murky. He lives in a luxurious brownstone on West 35th Street in ...

'' (1981, TV Series) as Neil Stryker *''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' (1981, TV Series) as Claude Brown *''

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...

'' (1981, TV Series) as Nostradamus *''

Draw Draw, drawing, draws, or drawn may refer to: Common uses * Draw (terrain), a terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between them * Drawing (manufacturing), a process where metal, glass, or plastic or anythin ...

'' (1983, TV Movie) as Ephraim *''

Passions ''Passions'' is an American television soap opera that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on DirecTV's The 101 Network from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter James E. Reilly and ...

'' (1984, TV Movie) as Sam Cooper *''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...

'' (1984, TV Series) as Kenneth Langhom *''

A Matter of Justice ''A Matter of Justice'' is a 1993 American television film directed by Michael Switzer and starring Patty Duke and Martin Sheen. Televised in two parts, it is based on a true story. Premise A true story about the mother of a murder victim seek ...

'' (1984, TV Movie) as Ralph Blair *''

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'' (1985, TV Movie) as Verne Adler *''Picking Up the Pieces'' (1985, TV Movie) as Carew *''

Assassin Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

'' (1985, TV Movie) as Senator Corbin *'' This is the Life'' (1985, TV Series) as Paul Montgomery *''

Airwolf ll ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving ...

'' (1986, TV Series) as Jaggerman *'' Generations'' (1989-1990, TV Series) as Eddie *'' Without Her Consent'' (1990, TV Movie) as Judge Wasserman *'' Sweating Bullets'' (1991, TV Series) as Simon Chase *''

'' (1992, TV Series) as Judge Bartlett *''

E.N.G. ''E.N.G.'' is a Canadian television drama, following the staff of a fictional Toronto television news station. The show aired on CTV from 1989 to 1994. The series ran for 96 episodes, produced by the Alliance Entertainment Corporation. Pl ...

'' (1993, TV Series) as Mac Brady (final appearance)Birman
on the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Voice acting

In the 1980s, Birman was heard on U.S. radio drama, as many and varied characters on Mutual Radio Theatre and Sears Radio Theatre. In the 1960s and 1970s Canadian radio listeners heard him on CBC Stage, Drama In Sound, Wednesday Night, The Bush and the Salon, Midweek Theatre, Maigret (series), Schools Broadcasts, Anthology and Foothill Fables. Some of the well known and recognizable parts he played were: * Armand in ''Camille'' * Joseph K in ''The Trial'' * Antony in ''Julius Caesar'' * George in ''Of Mice and Men'' * King Philip in ''Juana La Loca'' * Petruchio in ''Taming of the Shrew'' * Thorwold Helmer in ''A Doll's House'' * Apolladorus in ''Caesar and Cleopatra'' * Alan Quartermain in ''King Solomon's Mines'' Birman dubbed foreign films, was voice over on TV and radio commercial spots, and narrated school programs and documentaries. He shared narration of the " CTV Network" series ''The Fabulous Sixties'' with Peter Jennings, and voiced guest villains on the TV cartoon series ''Spiderman'', ''Iron Man'', ''Captain America'' and ''The Incredible Hulk''. He was also the voice of Hercules and Giant Man/AntMan (''The Marvel Super Heroes'') (1966). In his own series, he played Rocket Robin Hood (1966-'67).

Personal life

Birman married twice. His first marriage was to Jayne Taft (1956-1963). They had one son, Matthew, who is enjoying a career as an actor/director/stunt co-ordinator. His second marriage is to Ruby Renaut (1977 to present). She had left acting in favor of work behind the camera, and they met on set. They were married at City Hall during the one hour lunch break from rehearsal for ''Hedda Gabler''. Renaut retired as the leading script supervisor with credits on all major TV series and feature films produced in Canada, including the landmark ''The Fox'' (1967). For the last 40 years Hollywood Hills has been their home.Birman on the 'Behind the Voice Actors' website
/ref>

References

External links

Brief biography
in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Birman, Len 1932 births Living people Canadian male television actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian male radio actors Canadian male stage actors Male actors from Montreal Male actors from Toronto Canadian expatriates in the United States