Louis Zorich — stage, screen, TV actor had strong Bay Area ties
Tony Award-nominated actor Louis Zorich, who played the father of Paul Reiser’s character on the NBC sitcom “Mad About You” and appeared in American Conservatory Theater’s “A Mother” in 2004, has died. He was 93.
Zorich died Tuesday at his home in New York, said Jonathan Mason, a representative at the Buchwald talent agency.
Zorich made his Broadway debut in “Becket” in 1960, and his stage credits also include “The Odd Couple,” the 2001 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies,” the 1993 revival of “She Loves Me” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2003. He earned a Tony nomination for “Hadrian VII” in 1969.
But Zorich, who had a keen sense of humor, was perhaps best known as sporting goods salesman Burt Buchman on “Mad About You” from 1992 to 1999. “It’s me, Burt! Burt Buchman — your father!” he was known to trumpet when he entered the home of his son, played by Reiser.
“Believe me when I say there has never been a more joyful and delicious human being to see every morning when you show up for work,” Reiser said in a tweet. “Louis had the heartiest laugh and the biggest heart. I will miss him dearly.”
Zorich also had a memorable turn as Greek restaurateur Pete in “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” giving a confused Kermit the frog this memorable advice: “Peoples is peoples.”
In 1962, Zorich married Olympia Dukakis, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for 1987’s “Moonstruck,” and the two of them appeared frequently together onstage, including “A Mother” at the Geary Theater.
“Louie Zorich was one of a kind,” said ACT Artistic Director Carey Perloff. “A Yugoslav man who grew up in tough, impoverished circumstances yet grew up to play kings and philosophers, clowns and heroes. As an actor, he brought fierce vitality, deep humanity and amazing humor to everything he touched. It was his work on Chekhov alongside his brilliant wife, Olympia Dukakis, that most stands out to me. He adored the Russians, and did a wonderful performance in ‘A Mother.’ His book ‘What Have You Done Lately’ is a terrific acting manual for young actors. I feel so lucky to have known him.”
In 2004, Zorich and Dukakis talked to The Chronicle about their marriage and working together.
“I’ve known so many actors and actresses who marry other actors, and one begins to work and the other one doesn’t, (and) that’s the end,” Zorich said.
“So stupid. Really! I think a basis of (a good marriage) that is having confidence in yourself. Even when you’re not working, you’ve got to believe something will happen, and it does happen.”
In 1977, Zorich was in a serious car crash where he suffered nerve damage and required knee surgery.
“As I was leaving the hospital, the doctor said, ‘Don’t celebrate too soon. In about 10 years, you’ll have to get a hip replacement,’ ” Zorich said in the 2004 interview, “which I did. Sort of changed some things in my life and a lot of other people’s lives. (Dukakis) was in a play at the time: running to the theater and coming to the hospital to see me.”
He had film roles in “Fiddler on the Roof ” opposite Chaim Topol, “City of Hope,” “Joe the King” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” with Steve Martin.
Besides Dukakis, he is survived by his children, Christina, Peter and Stefan; and grandchildren, Isabella, Sofia, Luka and Erlinda.