The Biography

Fyvush Finkel, born Philip Finkel, was an American actor from New York City, the son of Jewish immigrant parents from Eastern Europe. His career began in the Yiddish theatres of Manhattan where his talent for peppering his singing with comedic inflections gained him notoriety and consistent casting for over thirty years. He finally made his Broadway debut in 1964 as a member of the original production of Fiddler on the Roof, playing Mordcha the innkeeper. During the 1990s he began working in television and came to the attention of producer David E. Kelley, who cast him in two of his successful series: Picket Fences and Boston Public, the former earning him an Emmy (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series) in 1994. After Boston Public was cancelled in 2004 he returned to the theatres of New York, eventually retiring after the conclusion of the production of New Jerusalem in 2007. He passed away at his home in New York at the age of 93 due to heart problems.