Lewis J. Stadlen (born March 7, 1947) is an American stage and screen character actor. He is best known for playing Ira Fried in The Sopranos.
Career
Stage Born in Brooklyn, New York, to voice actor Allen Swift, Stadlen studied acting with Sanford Meisner and Stella Adler. He made his Broadway debut as Groucho Marx in the musical comedy Minnie's Boys in 1970. Other noted Broadway roles include Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Banjo in a revival of The Man Who Came to Dinner, Milt in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and Voltaire/Dr. Pangloss in the 1974 Broadway production of Candide. He has been nominated for two Tony Awards during his career.
The Time of Your Life was revived on March 17, 1972, at the Huntington Hartford Theater in Los Angeles, with Stadlen, Henry Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Thompson, Strother Martin, Gloria Grahame, Jane Alexander, Richard X. Slattery and Pepper Martin among the cast and Edwin Sherin directing.
Film Stadlen's film credits include Portnoy's Complaint (1972), Serpico (1973), The Verdict (1982), To Be or Not to Be 1983), Windy City (1984), and In & Out (1997).
Television In 1966, Stadlen made his debut in a single appearance on The Edge of Night, playing a newsboy. His television credits in the 1970's were limited to guest appearances until 1979, when he was cast as a series regular in the first season of Benson as John Taylor, Governor Gatling's chief of staff.
Stadlen found this role to be dissatisfying, frequently clashing with producers over the scripts and the direction of his character. He asked to be released from his contract, leaving him to be replaced in the second season by René Auberjonois, who assumed the role of Clayton Endicott. He also has appeared in Law & Order and The Sopranos.
His autobiography, Acting Foolish, was published by Bear Manor in 2009.
Awards and nominations +YearAwardCategoryWorkResult1970Drama Desk AwardOutstanding PerformanceMinnie's BoysWon1970Theatre World AwardMinnie's BoysWon1974Tony AwardBest Actor in a MusicalCandideNominated1996Tony AwardBest Featured Actor in a MusicalA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumNominated2001Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actor in a PlayThe Man Who Came to DinnerNominated
Credits Film YearTitleRoleNotes1972 Portnoy's Complaint Mandel 1972 Savages Julian Branch, a Song Writer 1972 Parades Potofski 1973 Serpico Jerry Berman 1977 Between the Lines Stanley 1982 Soup for One Allan's Father 1982 The Verdict Dr. Gruber 1983 To Be or Not to Be Lupinsky 1984 Windy City Marty 1990 Funny About Love Avi 1994 I.Q. Moderator 1995 The Real Shlemiel Lekish / Zeinvel / The Peddler Voice1997 In & Out Ed Kenrow 1998 The Impostors Bandleader
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1966The Edge of NightNewsboy1 episode1970George M!The Stage ManagerTV movie1975Three to Get ReadyDr. Carl SmeltzTV movie1975Judge Horton and the Scottsboro BoysSam LiebowitzTV movie1979-1980BensonJohn Taylor23 episodes1980OmnibusGroucho Marx1 episode1987Murder by the BookNorman WagstaffTV movie, uncredited1988MonstersJay Blake1 episode1986The EqualizerMr. Cooper Episode: "A Community of Civilized Men"1989The EqualizerDanny Episode: "The Caper"1991Law & OrderEli Schwab1 episode1995New York News1 episode2000The Man Who Came to DinnerBanjoTV movie, recording of stage production2004Curb Your EnthusiasmHimself1 episode2000-2007The SopranosDr. Ira Fried5 episodes2010DamagesDr. Maurice Samuels1 episode2012SmashRalph Masius3 episodes2014Live from Lincoln CenterEfram1 episode, Recording of stage production of The Nance
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes1967Fiddler on the RoofMendelNational Tour1970Minnie's BoysJulius "Groucho" MarxBroadway1970The Happiness CageReeseJoseph Papp Public Theater1972The Sunshine BoysBen SilvermanBroadway1974CandideDr. Pangloss/Governor/Host/Sage/VoltaireBroadway1985The Odd CoupleManalo CostazueloBroadway1986Olympus on My MindSosiaLamb's Theater1987One Two Three Four FiveNew York City Center, Stage II1989S.J. Perelman in PersonS.J. PerelmanCherry Lane Theatre1991The My House PlayErnie BattagliaWPA Theatre1992Guys and DollsNathan DetroitNational Tour1993Laughter on the 23rd FloorMiltBroadway1996A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumSenexBroadway 1997The American ClockMoe/SherriffPeter Norton Space1998Mizlansky/Zilinsky or "Schmucks"Sam ZilinskyNew York City Center, Stage I1999Epic ProportionsD.W. Dewitt1999Do Re MiBrains BermanNew York City Center, Encores!2000The Man Who Came to DinnerBanjo2000Wonderful TownAppopolous New York City Center, Encores!200145 Seconds From BroadwayMickey Fox2003The ProducersMax BialystockNational Tour and Broadway2006Of Thee I SingLouis LippmanNew York City Center, Encores!2007Hello, Dolly!Horace VandergelderSt. Louis MUNY2011The People in the PictureAvram KrinskyBroadway2012Fiddler on the RoofTevyePittsburgh Civic Light Opera2012CheckersMurray ChotinerVineyard Theatre2013The NanceEframBroadway2014Little MeBennie BuchsbaumNew York City Center, Encores!2015Fish in the DarkStewie DrexelBroadway2016The Front PageEndicottBroadway2018Hello, Dolly!Horace VandergelderNational Tour2019Let 'em Eat CakeLouis LippmanCarnegie Hall Concert2022Death of a SalesmanWilly LomanFlint Reperatory Theatre
References
Further reading Acting Foolish, by Lewis J. Stadlen. BearManor Media, Albany, 2009. .
External links