102-Year-Old Nehemiah Persoff (1919-2022) WORD ON WESTERNS Podcast Exclusive!
Hollywood legends Wayne, Bogart, Brando, Poitier and more taught Nehemiah Persoff about the movie business. Nicky joins Rob and RJ Word for an exclusive Zoom interview recorded November 2021, shortly before the celebrated actor died at the age of 102. Coming from the stage and the Actor’s Studio, Nehemiah, was a fast learner and appeared in 100s of film and TV roles. We feel so fortunate to have done a zoom interview with him. Nehemiah's memories of working with John Wayne in THE COMANCHEROS on acclaimed director Michael Curtiz’ last film are fascinating. It was a thrill to have him share so many stories of his career for his fans to enjoy on our weekly series of conversations with filmmakers.
Born in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff (Aug 2, 1919-April 5, 2022) came to America at the age of 10. He was one of the first to join the celebrated Actor’s Studio where he worked with Elia Kazan and met Marlon Brando, later appearing with “Bud” in Kazan’s celebrated ON THE WATERFRONT. Persoff’s first western feature was Delmar Daves’ THE BADLANDERS with Alan Ladd. The actors were quite different from those he had worked with in New York. On Humphrey Bogart’s last movie, THE HARDER THEY FALL, Nicky learned a big lesson in acting. His revealing memories of working with John Wayne as the heavy in THE COMANCHEROS caused him to rethink his approach to his interpretation of the villain. When Edward G. Robinson bailed on Billy Wilder in a key role in the now classic SOME LIKE IT HOT, Nicky replaced him and tells of the support he got from Wilder and the atmosphere on the set which made Persoff furious. Nehemiah was loaded with talent and versatility. His career was amazing; his life filled with love and adventure. Thanks to his cousin, author Jim Rosin, for helping arrange the interview. Nicky may have only been 5'7" tall but he was a GIANT on screen, leaving many powerful performances for generations to savor for years to come. May he Rest in Peace.
Nicky was also a celebrated Plein Air artist and published his autobiography, “The Many Faces of Nehemiah,” in 2021. It is available through Amazon here: https://www.shorturl.at/bftPW