Mike Nussbaum

Mike Nussbaum
Born	Myron Nussbaum (1923-12-29)December 29, 1923 New York City, U.S.
Died	December 23, 2023(2023-12-23) (aged 99) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Years active	1950–2023
Spouses	Annette Brenner ​ ​ (m. 1949; died 2003)​ Julie Brudlos ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	3, including Susan and Karen

Myron G. Nussbaum (December 29, 1923 – December 23, 2023) was an American actor and director.

Early years

Myron Nussbaum (he adopted "G." while in the Army, to avoid the "no middle initial" descriptor in roll call)[1] was born in New York City to a Jewish family on December 29, 1923,[1][2][3] and grew up in the Albany Park area of Chicago. He married soon after he returned to Chicago following military service during World War II. His Army assignments included being chief of the message center for General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in which he dispatched the official notification of Germany's surrender. For 20 years, he worked with his brother-in-law in an extermination business.[4]

Career

Nussbaum's acting career started in community theatre in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he was active in a developing professional theatrical community in Chicago, meeting a young David Mamet in the process.[4] He appeared in many of Mamet's plays both on and off Broadway, as well as in Chicago. His films include Field of Dreams, House of Games, Things Change, Fatal Attraction and Men In Black.

As a director, his work has included Where Have You Gone, Jimmy Stewart? (2002) by Art Shay.

Nussbaum also appeared in local TV commercials for Chicago's Northwest Federal Savings[5] (with the jingle, "It's Northwest Federal Savings time, sixty-three hours a week").[6] He also did national commercials for United Airlines and Scope mouthwash.[5]

Nussbaum continued to act through his 90s, and he was still working on theatre projects up until his death in 2023.[7][8]

Personal life and death

Nussbaum was married to Annette Brenner from 1949 until her death in 2003.[9] He married Julie Brudlos in 2004.[10] He had three children with his first wife, Jack, Karen, and Susan.[4]

Nussbaum died at his Chicago home on December 23, 2023, six days shy of his 100th birthday.[7]

Recognition

Nussbaum received the following Jeff Awards:[11]

Year	Award	Play
1977	Director - Play	Lunching
1997	Actor in a Principal Role - Play	Racing Demon
2001	Special Award	---
2011	Actor in a Supporting Role - Play	Broadway Bound
2014	Actor in a Supporting Role - Play	Smokefall
2015	Actor in a Supporting Role - Play	The Price

Filmography

• The Monitors (1969) as Exercise Chief
• T.R. Baskin (1971) as Office Manager
• Harry and Tonto (1974) as Old Age Home Clerk
• Towing (1978) as Phil
• House of Games (1987) as Joey
• Fatal Attraction (1987) as Bob Drimmer
• Things Change (1988) as Mr. Green
• Field of Dreams (1989) as Principal
• Desperate Hours (1990) as Mr. Nelson
• Gladiator (1992) as Doctor
• Gypsy (1993) as Weber, Los Angeles Theatre Manager [12]
• Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage (1993) as Gaspar DiGregorio
• Losing Isaiah (1995) as Dr. Jamison
• Steal Big Steal Little (1995) as Sam Barlow, Clifford Downey's Attorney
• Men In Black (1997) as Gentle Rosenberg
• Early Edition (1997) - Yuri Rosanov
• The Game of Their Lives (2005) as Johnny Abruzzo
• Dirty Work (2006) as Gaga
• Osso Bucco (2008) as Uncle Sil
• Tom of Your Life (2020) as Father McMurphy

References

1. Green, Penelope (December 29, 2023). "Mike Nussbaum, Celebrated Chicago Theater Actor, Dies at 99". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
2. "Mike Nussbaum, the Oldest Working Jewish Actor, Tells All." Hodes, Laura. The Jewish Daily Forward. Forward.com Published November 9, 2015. Accessed February 25, 2016.
3. Simon, Scott. "At 94, Mike Nussbaum Is The Oldest Working Stage Actor In Show Biz". NPR. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
4. Hansen, Stephen E. "Mike Nussbaum Is 90 and Can Do More Pushups than You". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
5. Zell, Fran (December 23, 1977). "Mike Nussbaum prefers to direct his energies here". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. p. 19wpn. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
6. "North West Federal Savings - "63 Hours a Week!" (Commercial, 1977)". Youtube.
7. Jones, Chris. "Chicago actor Mike Nussbaum dies at 99, the oldest working actor in the country". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
8. Steinberg, Neil (April 25, 2019). "Not only the oldest but one of the best: Mike Nussbaum on acting at 95". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
9. Groark, Virginia (April 7, 2003). "Activist, fun-loving mom, grandma". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. p. Section 4, P 11. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
10. Tribune, Nina Metz, Special to the (September 4, 2005). "Mike Nussbaum going strong". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
11. "Archives". The Joseph Jefferson Awards. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
12. [1] imdb.com. Accessed January 8, 2023.

External links

• Personal remembrances
• Illinois Arts Alliance Arts Legend citation
• Goodman Theatre Artist Bio
• Mike Nussbaum Is 90 and Can Do More Pushups than You
• Mike Nussbaum at IMDb
• Mike Nussbaum Papers at the Newberry Library