bendsley

Actor Jerry Orbach has died of prostate cancer.

A publicist for the show "Law and Order" says the 69-year-old actor died last night in Manhattan after several weeks of treatment.

The award-winning actor has portrayed New York City police Detective Lennie Briscoe on the crime-and-justice drama "Law & Order" for the past 12 seasons. When his illness was diagnosed, Orbach had started production on NBC's upcoming series "Law and Order: Trial By Jury." His return to the new show had been expected early next year.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Orbach was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had been receiving treatment for the disease since last spring.

Beyond his TV experience, Orbach is a veteran actor of both the stage and the big screen. Orbach won a Tony award for Best Actor in a Musical for "Promises, Promises" in 1969 and was nominated for Tonys for his performances in "Guys and Dolls" in 1965 and "Chicago" in 1976.

Orbach starred in other hit Broadway musicals, including "Carnival" and "42nd Street."

He played Baby Houseman's father in 1987's cult classic, "Dirty Dancing." He also appeared on film in "Prince of the City" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors."
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I always thought it was a pretty good show. I liked the original much better than all 50 of the spinoffs.

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"You hear the one about the fella who died, went to the pearly gates? St. Peter let him in. Sees a guy in a suit making a closing argument. Says, "Who's that?" St. Peter says, "Oh, that's God. Thinks he's Denny Crane."

Averett

I just read about this - very sad. He was fantastic in just about everything he did. He even voiced Lumiere in "Beauty and the Beast"

I loved him in L&O.

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Absence is to love what wind is to fire. It extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.

Fremen

r.i.p., Jerry.
You were one of the best and most memorable of today's character actors.

We're slowly losing them and they're being replaced by bubble gum type actors.

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Eweser

A wonderful actor. He will be sorely missed.

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"Whoever wrote this episode should die!"

BonesCPA

Since no one else has said it yet:

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

Great actor. So long, Lennie Briscoe.

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Back into hibernation.

onodrim

He will be very missed, sad to hear.

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"The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there’s little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides"
-Carl Sagan

xerraire1

I heard, and was going to post something to this. But it has already happened. Rest in Peace, may all the good deeds you did on the show transfer to good deeds for your after life.

Miss ya mate, no one can replace you

Mephisto2

This sucks.

I loved his character Lennie Briscoe. Mrs Mephisto and I watched this series for his acting alone.

Bummer bummer bummer


Mr Mephisto

paddyjoe

yup, you're right....this does suck!

no one could crack wise like Lennie

R.I.P. man, you'll surely be missed.

Undercover_Man

I will suely miss him. He made me laugh.

maleficent

The news just had a brief story on his career, and showed the dimming of the lights on Broadway in tribute to him, it's not often Broadway goes dark.

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BigGov

I never saw any of his work on broadway. All I know is he made the first half hour of Law & Order worth watching.

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One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!"

SecretMethod70

His character was my favorite of the detectives, and everything I've heard of him in musicals has always been fantastic......it's too bad.

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"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

xerraire1

Well I think to be honest this is proof that will does keep people alive. I think he knew that his time was coming to an end, even if he hadn't be diagnosed yet. He finished his (10th or 12th?) season and as his life came to a close, the curtains opened in the next world

(p.s. wasn't he working on Law and Order: Trial by Jury? What is that?)

Bratwurst

I didn't start watching Law and Order until earlier this year when my tivo started recording the reruns. Its probably my favorite show now, and Lenny Briscoe was my favorite character. I am very saddened to hear about his passing as he was a great actor. Never saw him in anything else, but I really liked him on this show.

MikeyChalupa

I mentioned this to my wife, she didn't know who he was until I said "the voice of Lumiere". Then she knew. Sad to see him go. He was a very accomplished and well-rounded artist.

-Mikey

fhqwhgads

He will truly be missed. I'm a huge L&O fan.

Would it be completely insensitive of me to request that they play the *donk donk* noise at the end of his funeral?

moonstrucksoul

too bad, he was the only thing consistent on that show.

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jaded

I happened to catch the last episode he was on the job. The last scene was: after he cleared out his desk, holding the box full of stuff and walking towards the door, he turned around and said, \"It\'s good to go out on a win.\" Then he walked out and the door shut behind him. I was wondering why he decided to leave the show then. May he rest in peace.

zensheep

I'm a big fan of L&O and Lennie was one of my favorite characters throughout the multiple variations of the show. I wish his family all the best. R.I.P. Jerry.