Herbert Edelman (November 5, 1933 – July 21, 1996) was an American actor of stage, film and television. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his television work. His best-known role was as Stanley Zbornak, the ex-husband of Dorothy Zbornak (played by Bea Arthur) on The Golden Girls. He also had a recurring role on the 1980s medical drama St. Elsewhere.

Early life and career

Edelman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 5, 1933. His parents, Jennie ( Greenberg) and Mayer "Mike" Edelman, were Jewish immigrants from Poland and Ukraine, respectively. Before becoming an actor, Edelman studied to become a veterinarian at Cornell University but left during his first year. After serving in the U.S. Army as an announcer for Armed Forces Radio, he enrolled in Brooklyn College as a theater student, but eventually dropped out. He later worked as a hotel manager and as a taxicab driver. One of his fares was director Mike Nichols, who in 1963 cast Edelman in his breakthrough Broadway role, as the bewildered telephone repairman in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park. Edelman reprised his role in the 1967 film version (starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda).

He appeared as Murray the Cop in the movie version of Simon's The Odd Couple (1968) and later appeared in Simon's California Suite (1978). In 1976, in an episode of The Love Boat entitled “Daredevil / Picture Me Spy”, Edelman portrayed a Russian professor at Stanford University. He also had a role in The Way We Were (1973) and in an installment of the Japanese movie series Otoko wa Tsurai yo in 1979.

He remains best known for his three decades in television, usually as a co-star, recurring character, or guest star on CHIPS, The Golden Girls, That Girl, Love, American Style, The Streets of San Francisco, Maude, Cannon, Happy Days, Welcome Back, Kotter, Highway to Heaven, Kojak, Fantasy Island, Cagney & Lacey, and MacGyver, but occasionally in a lead role. In 1976, he starred in the Saturday morning children's series Big John, Little John, as well as The Good Guys with Bob Denver (in what was Denver's first series after Gilligan's Island) from 1968 to 1970.

He also appeared with Bill Bixby and Valerie Perrine in Bruce Jay Friedman's Steambath, a controversial PBS dramedy during 1973. From 1984 to 1988, he had a recurring role on St. Elsewhere. Edelman also appeared in ten episodes of Murder, She Wrote between 1984 and 1995, most frequently appearing as New York Police Department Lieutenant Artie Gelber. His last role was in an episode of Burke's Law.

Personal life and death Edelman was married to actress Louise Sorel from 1964 to 1970. He had two children with his second wife, Merrilyn (Crosgrove) Saint. He was romantically linked with his St. Elsewhere co-star Christina Pickles from the mid-1980s until his death.

Edelman died of emphysema on July 21, 1996, in Los Angeles at the age of 62. He was interred at Montefiore Cemetery in Springfield Gardens, Queens, New York.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1967 In Like Flint Russian Premier 1967 Barefoot in the Park Harry Pepper 1968 P.J. CharlieAlternative title: New Face in Hell 1968 I Love You, Alice B. Toklas Murray Alternative title: Kiss My Butterfly 1968 Murray 1972 Howard Mann 1973 Bill Verso 1974 Schwartz Credited as Herbert Edelman 1974 Wheat Alternative title: Brotherhood of the Yakuza 1975 Hearts of the West Polo Alternative title: Hollywood Cowboy 1976 Smash-Up on Interstate 5 Danny TV movie 1977 Charge of the Model T's Villa Nueva 1978 Goin' Coconuts Sid 1978 California Suite Harry Michaels 1979 Tora-san's Dream of Spring Michael Jordan 24th entry in the Japanese Otoko wa Tsurai yo series 1981 On the Right Track Sam 1983 Cracking Up Dr. Jonas Pletchick 1984 Wheels on Meals Matt Henry 1992 Rupert Hess Credited as Herbert Edelman 1995 Cops n Roberts (final film role)

Television Year Title Role Notes 1964 Benny Episode: "How Much for a Prince?" 1965 Marco Episode: "The Witnesses" 1965 Honey West Moody Episode: "Live a Little... Kill a Little" 1966 Hey, Landlord Garvin Episode: "The Long Hot Bus" 1966 Occasional Wife Uncle Harry Episode: "Marriage Counselor" 1966 That Girl Eddie Episode: "Time for Arrest" 1967 Mr. Asterick Episode: "The Furnace Flats Affair" 1967 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Seth Swine Episode: "The Reason Nobody Hardly Ever Seen a Fat Outlaw in the Old West Is as Follows" 1967 Accidental Family Howard Episode: "If You Knew Martha" 1967 Albion "Al" Caine Episode: "Ah Love, Could You and I Conspire?" 1968–70 Bert Gramus 42 episodes 1971 Mr. Maher Episode: "Tobacco Road" 1971 Bewitched Col. Bringham Episode: "This Little Piggie" 1971 McMillan & Wife Gregory Constantine Episode: "Once Upon a Dead Man" 1971 Mission: Impossible Frank Mason Episode: "Run for the Money" 1972 Banacek Joe Taddenhurst Episode: "Project Phoenix" 1972 Banyon Harry Sprague Episode: "Pilot" 1972 Howard Feinstein Episode: "A Quality of Fear" 1972 Temperatures Rising Dr. Patterson Episode: "RX: Christmas" 1973 Ironside David Wollens Episode: "Murder by One" 1973 George Benson Episode: "One of the Boys" 1973 Darby Willis Episode: "The Strike-Out King" 1973 The Streets of San Francisco Lou Episode: "The Twenty-Four Karat Plague" 1974 Hawkins Lt. Horowitz Episode: "Murder on the Thirteenth Floor" 1974 Maude Woody Episode: "Maude the Boss" 1974 The Strange and Deadly Occurrence Mr. Felix — 1975 Happy Days Burglar Episode: "The Cunningham Caper" 1975 Barney Miller Alan Schuster Episode: "The Guest" 1975 Medical Center Brannigan Episode: "Gift from a Killer" 1976 Jigsaw John Lieutenant Hill Episode: "Sand Trap" 1976 Big John Little John Big John Martin 13 episodes 1977 Blansky's Beauties Sindu 2 episodes 1977 Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected Don Lucas Episode: "You're Not Alone" 1977 The San Pedro Beach Bums Schwann Episode: "The Angels and the Bums" 1978 CHiPs Sanders Episode: "Rainy Day" 1978 Chico and the Man Doctor Episode: "The Hot Rock" 1978 Charlie's Angels Joey January Episode: "Angels in Vegas" 1979 The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove Big Jim 2 episodes 1980–81Ladies' Man Reggie 16 episodes 1981–82 Strike Force Commissioner Herb Klein 20 episodes 1982–83 Nine to Five Harry Nussbaum 8 episodes 1984 Trapper John, M.D. Dr. Haller Episode: "A Little Knife Music" 1984-88 St. Elsewhere Richard Clarendon 17 episodes 1984–95 Murder, She Wrote Lieutenant Artie Gelber, and others 10 episodes 1985 Hal Vargas movie producer Episode: "Reel Trouble" 1985 Dr. Arnie Samuels Episode: "The Big D" 1985 Highway to Heaven Dr. Cohn 2 episodes 1985 Hardcastle and McCormick Harry Baxter Episode: "Games People Play" 1985–92 Stan Zbornak 26 episodes 1987 Matlock Arthur Rydell Episode: "The Rat Pack" 1988 Beauty and the Beast Harold Levinson Episode: "Temptation" 1989 Lassister Fogel Episode: "The Dark Closet" 1989 Out of This World Stanley Mansfield Episode: "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" 1989–90 thirtysomething Murray Steadman 2 episodes 1990 Gene Dickinson 2 episodes 1990 Knots Landing Sergeant Levine 5 episodes 1991 MacGyver Gorman Episode: "Faith, Hope and Charity" 1992 Batman: The Animated Series Stern 2 episodes 1992–93 L.A. Law Judge Al Jones 2 episodes 1993 Stanley Zbornak Episode: "One Angry Stan" 1994 Therapist Episode: "The Exercist"

Award nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 1987 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series The Golden Girls 1988

References

External links

Classic Television Archive: Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (1977)