Nehemiah Persoff, best known for his roles in Yentl and Some Like It Hot, has died at the age of 102.
The actor died on Tuesday in San Luis Obispo, California, after an incredible and wide-ranging career.
His death was confirmed by his daughter Dahlia,
Persoff’s breakthrough role was in the iconic 1959 movie Some Like It Hot, in which he played mobster boss Little Bonaparte. He was the final surviving member of the cast.
Early in his career he also appeared in the likes of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man, and Al Capone, and he went on to appear in TV series like The Twilight Zone.
In 1983’s Yentl, Persoff played Barbra Streisand’s on-screen father, Rebbe Mendel.
His career continued up until 2003, when he appeared in the TV miniseries Angels in America.
In his later years, he also featured in a whole host of TV shows including Law & Order, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Murder, She Wrote.
All in all, Persoff had more than 200 credits under his belt during his career, which spanned an incredible seven decades.
Barbra was one of the first to pay tribute, sharing a sweet photo and writing: ‘Nicky lived a long loving life. I’ll miss you Papa!!’.
Another tribute read: ‘Nehemiah Persoff showed up in about every TV series from the 50’s – 90’s. A film role was in The Wrong Man (1956), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Here, with Vera Miles. May he rest in peace after a long, 102 year life.’
One more fan said: ‘I know he had a good long life, but it’s still sad to see #NehemiahPersoff go. He always played some of the most endearing characters, especially on #TheInvisibleMan Still haven’t forgiven #MurderSheWrote for killing his character off.’
Persoff’s wife Thia died last year of cancer. He’s survived by his children Daniel, Jeff, Perry and Dahlia, and several grandchildren.
