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Doris Belack

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Doris Belack
Belack in 1990
Born(1926-02-26)February 26, 1926
New York City, U.S.
DiedOctober 4, 2011(2011-10-04) (aged 85)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1955–2011
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1946; died 2011)​

Doris Belack (February 26, 1926 – October 4, 2011) was an American character actress of stage, film and television.[1]

Early years

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Born on February 26, 1926, Belack was the younger child of Russian Jewish immigrant parents, Isaac and Bertha Belack; she had an older sister.[1]

Life and career

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Belack began her acting career immediately after she graduated from high school when she began performing in a summer stock theater company.[1]

She has sometimes been misidentified as the first Bernice Fish, the wife to Abe Vigoda's character Fish on Barney Miller. She was actually only a one-episode replacement for actress Florence Stanley, who played the role. Before that, Belack was seen mainly in soap operas. She originated the role of Anna Wolek Craig for nearly a decade on One Life to Live. She also appeared in Another World (three different roles over several years), The Doctors (1980, as psychiatrist Dr. Claudia Howard), and The Edge of Night (1981, as Beth Bryson). Later in the 1980s, she had the recurring role of Pine Valley's mayor on All My Children.

She played the formidable soap opera producer Rita Marshall in the 1982 comedy film Tootsie, which starred Dustin Hoffman. Her other film credits included roles in Fast Forward (1985), Batteries Not Included (1987), Splash, Too (1988), She-Devil (1989), Opportunity Knocks (1990), What About Bob? (1991), Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult. (1994), Krippendorf's Tribe (1998), The Odd Couple II (1998) and Fail Safe (2000).[2]

Belack played the lead role in the short-lived television sitcom Baker's Dozen as "Florence Baker", the no-nonsense captain of an undercover anti-crime unit of the NYPD. The show lasted a month on CBS. She guest starred on an episode of The Golden Girls in 1985 as Gloria, the sister of Bea Arthur's character Dorothy Zbornak. From 1990 to 2001, Belack played tough, sharp-tongued Judge Margaret Barry, a recurring role on Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She voiced Maureen McReary in Grand Theft Auto IV and provided the voices of Mrs. Dink and Mrs. Wingo in the Nickelodeon show Doug. Her last television appearance was on a 2003 episode of Sex and the City.[2]

Personal life and death

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Her husband, producer Philip Rose, died on May 31, 2011, four months before her own death. They were married for 65 years and had no children.[3]

Belack died on October 4, 2011, in New York City, aged 85.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Television

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Doris Belack' television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1965 For The People The Policewoman Episode: "Any Benevolent Purpose"
1968-1977 One Life to Live Anna Wolek Craig #1 / Anna Wolek Craig / Anna Craig / Anna Wolek / Anna Craig Wolek 821 episodes (regular role)
1975 Barney Miller Bernice Fish Episode: "Fish"
1978 On Our Own Nurse Pressiosa Episode: "When a Body Meets a Body"
1978 The Last Tenant Housekeeper Television film
1980 Family Dr. Derwin Episode: "When the Bough Breaks"
1980 The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Olive Television film
1980 When the Whistle Blows — Episode: "Pilot"
1980 The Doctors Dr. Claudia Howard 22 episodes (regular role)
1981 We're Fighting Back Doctor Television film
1982 The Edge of Night Beth Bryson 41 episodes (regular role)
1982 Baker's Dozen Captain Florence Baker 6 episodes
1983 The Cradle Will Fall Edna Burns Television film
1983 Sessions — Television film
1984 Emerald Point N.A.S. Nancy Frost Uncredited
Episode: "The Wedding"
1984 Family Ties Mrs. Willis Episode: "Fabric Smarts"
1984 The Cosby Show Saleswoman Episode: "Father's Day"
1984-1985 Remington Steele Rose Myrtle / Rose 2 episodes
1985 Cagney & Lacey Mrs. Harkins Episode: "American Dream"
1985 The Hearst and Davies Affair Louella Parsons Television film
1985 Off The Rack — Episode: "Here Comes the Bribe"
1985 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Mrs. Courtney Episode: "Vigilante Mothers"
1985 Hollywood Beat — Episode: "Pilot"
1985 Hometown Alice Bender Episode: "Mary's Yen"
1985 The Golden Girls Gloria Petrillo Episode: "The Custody Battle"
1986 Mr. Belvedere Customer #2 Episode: "The Will"
1986 Mary Norma Tucker Episode: "Little Jo"
1987 The Equalizer Dorian Episode: "High Performance"
1987 Almost Partners Anna McCue Television film
1988 Hostage Edna Television film
1988 Splash, Too Lois Needler Television film
1988 Baby Boom Lois Elkman Episode: "Little Jo"
1989 Anything but Love Dorothy Gold Episode: "Dorothy Dearest"
1991 Absolute Strangers Fran Television film
1991-1994 Doug Tippi Dink / Mrs. Wingo / Ruby Valentine Voice role
52 episodes (regular role)
1992 Mathnet Broadway Annie Rose Episode: "The Case of the Smart Dummy"
1992 Laurie Hill Beverly Fielder 10 episodes
1993 Lifestories: Families In Crisis Judge Cohen Episode: "The Case of the Smart Dummy"
1993 Family Album Lillian Lerner 6 episodes
1994 Picket Fences Justice Ginsburg Episode: "May It Please the Court"
1995 Chicago Hope Mrs. Taubler Episode: "Heartbreak"
1995 Sisters Shirley Nuesbaum / Naomi Margolis 2 episodes
1998 Touched by an Angel Elaine Weiss Episode: "Elijah"
2000 Fail Safe Mrs. Johnson Television film
2000-2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Margaret Barry / Trial Judge Margaret Barry 3 episodes

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Vitello, Paul (October 9, 2011). "Doris Belack, Judge on TV's 'Law & Order', Dies at 85". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2011. Doris Belack, a veteran stage, television and screen actress best known for her roles as a no-nonsense judge on "Law & Order" and as the peeved soap opera producer in "Tootsie" died on Tuesday in New York. She was 85.
  2. ^ a b "Actress Doris Belack dies at 85". Variety. October 6, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  3. ^ "Philip Rose dies at age 89". Variety. June 5, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
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