Murray Gershenz (May 12, 1922 – August 28, 2013) was an American character actor and entrepreneur. He began his acting career late in life, at the age of 79, when he starred in a 2001 episode of ''
Will & Grace
''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a Gay men, gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra ...
''. He went on to perform a variety of character roles in films and on television. As an entrepreneur, he operated the ''Music Man Murray'' record store in Los Angeles for more than 50 years.
Career
He acted in other television shows, such as ''
Modern Family
''Modern Family'' is an American television sitcom, created by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, that aired on ABC for 11 seasons from September 23, 2009, to April 8, 2020. The series follows the lives of three diverse but interrelated fa ...
'', ''
The Sarah Silverman Program
''The Sarah Silverman Program'' (stylized as ''The Sarah Silverman Program.'') is an American television sitcom, which ran from February 1, 2007, to April 15, 2010, on Comedy Central starring comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, who created the ...
'', ''
Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American historical drama, period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on cable network AMC (TV channel), AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, with seven seasons ...
'', ''
Raising Hope
''Raising Hope'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia that aired on Fox from September 21, 2010, to April 4, 2014. Following its first season, the show received two nominations at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Martha Pli ...
'', ''
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
'', and ''
Parks and Recreation''.
[ He also appeared in films, such as '']I Love You, Man
''I Love You, Man'' is a 2009 American bromantic comedy film written and directed by John Hamburg, based on a script by Larry Levin. The film stars Paul Rudd as a friendless man looking for a best man for his upcoming wedding. However, his ...
'' (2009), '' The Incredible Burt Wonderstone'' (2013), and ''The Hangover
''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, H ...
'' (2009), where he played Felix, an elderly man who fully disrobes in one scene.[
]
Personal life
Gershenz was born 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 ...
on May 12, 1922, and raised in a Jewish household. An avid vinyl record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, ...
collector, at the age of 16, he began collecting records, which turned into a $1.5 million stockpile of over 300,000 records for his shop located in West Adams, Los Angeles
West Adams is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood is known for its large number of historic buildings, structures, notable houses, and mansions. It contains several Los Angeles Historic ...
, California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.[ His desire to sell his collection became the subject of a 2011 ]documentary film
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
, titled ''Music Man Murray'', after his nickname and the name of his store.[ Presumably as a direct result of worldwide festival audiences' exposure to the film, in June 2013, he sold the entire collection to a buyer either from ]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 ...
or Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, sources vary on this detail and neither he nor the family have ever publicly released this information.
Death
Gershenz died of a heart attack on August 28, 2013, aged 91, in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
.[
]
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gershenz, Murray
1922 births
2013 deaths
American collectors
Male actors from New York City
Jewish American male actors
People from West Adams, Los Angeles
21st-century American Jews