Veteran performer John Randolph was a Tony Award-winning character actor whose union and social activism in the '40s and '50s caused him to be blacklisted during the McCarthy era. The balding performer may not have been a household name, but he was a regular face in movies and TV for over four decades. Randolph was born Emanuel Cohen in New York ...
| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | Appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: All the President's Men (1976), Heaven Can Wait (1978) and Prizzi's Honor (1985). |
| 2 | Originally played Frank Costanza in the Seinfeld (1989) episode "The Handicap Spot." After he was replaced by Jerry Stiller, his scenes in the episode were re-filmed with Stiller as well. |
| 3 | Won Broadway's 1987 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) for "Broadway Bound." |
| 4 | Spent two years of training in the Federal Theater Project in the 1930s. |
| 5 | Changed his name to John Randolph from Emanuel Cohen in 1940. |
| 6 | Wife, Sarah Cunningham, died of an asthma attack at the 1986 Oscar telecast ceremony. |
| 7 | Awarded a 1987 Tony for featured actor in the play "Broadway Bound." |
| 8 | He was a blacklisted actor during the McCarthy era. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| The Winds of Kitty Hawk | 1978 | TV Movie | Alexander Graham Bell |
| Lucan | 1977-1978 | TV Series | Dr. Don Hoagland |
| Heaven Can Wait | 1978 | Former Owner |
| Richie Brockelman, Private Eye | 1978 | TV Series | Mr. Brockelman |
| Doctors' Private Lives | 1978 | TV Movie | Irv |
| Nowhere to Run | 1978 | TV Movie | Marian's Father |
| Lou Grant | 1978 | TV Series | Sid Locke |
| The Gathering | 1977 | TV Movie | Dr. Hodges |
| Kill Me If You Can | 1977 | TV Movie | Judge Lewis Goodman |
| Insight | 1975-1977 | TV Series | Ozzie |
| Washington: Behind Closed Doors | 1977 | TV Mini-Series | Bennett Lowman |
| Nowhere to Hide | 1977 | TV Movie | Narrator |
| Loves Me, Loves Me Not | 1977 | TV Series | Leon |
| Secrets | 1977 | TV Movie | Ed Warner |
| Tail Gunner Joe | 1977 | TV Movie | Gen. Larkin |
| Sirota's Court | 1977 | TV Series |
| Executive Suite | 1976 | TV Series | Sy Bookerman |
| The Bob Newhart Show | 1973-1976 | TV Series | Junior Harrison |
| Spencer's Pilots | 1976 | TV Series | Patterson |
| King Kong | 1976 | Captain Ross |
| Independence | 1976 | Short | Samuel Adams |
| The American Parade | 1976 | TV Mini-Series | Judge J. Waites Waring |
| All the President's Men | 1976 | John Mitchell (voice, uncredited) |
| Medical Center | 1974-1976 | TV Series | Lt. Col. Mayhill / Dr. Ehren Kranz |
| Lincoln | 1975-1976 | TV Mini-Series | Simon Cameron |
| Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur | 1976 | TV Movie | Charlie Ross |
| Everybody Rides the Carousel | 1975 | Stage 7 (voice) |
| F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood | 1975 | TV Movie | Rupert Wahler |
| Wonder Woman | 1975 | TV Series | General Phil Blankenship |
| Great Performances | 1975 | TV Series | James Mayo |
| The Runaways | 1975 | TV Movie | George Collingwood |
| Adventures of the Queen | 1975 | TV Movie | John Howe |
| The Missiles of October | 1974 | TV Movie | Undersecretary of State George Ball |
| McMillan & Wife | 1974 | TV Series | Andrew Brill |
| Earthquake | 1974 | Mayor |
| Kojak | 1974 | TV Series | Judge Philip Templeton Mackie, Sr. |
| Ann in Blue | 1974 | TV Movie | Captain Mulholland |
| Nourish the Beast | 1974 | TV Movie | Mario |
| Lucas Tanner | 1974 | TV Series | John Hamilton (1975) |
| Tell Me Where It Hurts | 1974 | TV Movie | Lou |
| Columbo | 1974 | TV Series | The Colonel |
| Police Story | 1974 | TV Series | George Morris |
| Serpico | 1973 | Sidney Green |
| Pueblo | 1973 | TV Movie | Lt. Gen. S.J. McKee |
| Partners in Crime | 1973 | TV Movie | Judge Charles Leland |
| Topper Returns | 1973 | TV Movie |
| Mannix | 1967-1973 | TV Series | Lawrence Corwin / Jason Walker / Clint Houston |
| All in the Family | 1972 | TV Series | Joe Peterson |
| Bonanza | 1968-1972 | TV Series | Mr. Dawson / Donavan / Doctor Belden |
| The Judge and Jake Wyler | 1972 | TV Movie | James Rockmore |
| The Rookies | 1972 | TV Series | Howard Price |
| The Family Rico | 1972 | TV Movie | Malaks |
| Conquest of the Planet of the Apes | 1972 | Commission Chairman |
| Young Dr. Kildare | 1972 | TV Series |
| A Death of Innocence | 1971 | TV Movie | Charles Cameron |
| Crosscurrent | 1971 | TV Movie | Frederick Cooper |
| The Bold Ones: The Lawyers | 1969-1971 | TV Series | Dr. Paul Schaefer / Judge Stuart Murchison |
| O'Hara, U.S. Treasury | 1971 | TV Series | Thomas J. Gault |
| Escape from the Planet of the Apes | 1971 | Chairman |
| A Step Out of Line | 1971 | TV Movie | Detective Riddle |
| The Name of the Game | 1971 | TV Series | Chapman |
| Little Murders | 1971 | Mr. Chamberlain |
| Night Gallery | 1971 | TV Series | H.E. Pritkin (segment "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar") |
| The Bold Ones: The Senator | 1970-1971 | TV Series | Gov. George Keller |
| The Interns | 1970 | TV Series | Joe Binder |
| Bracken's World | 1970 | TV Series | Charley Fredericks |
| There Was a Crooked Man... | 1970 | Cyrus McNutt |
| Gaily, Gaily | 1969 | Father |
| Hawaii Five-O | 1969 | TV Series | Marty Sloane |
| Number One | 1969 | Coach Southerd |
| N.Y.P.D. | 1967-1969 | TV Series | Foreman / Capt. Pepper |
| Smith! | 1969 | Mr. Edwards |
| Pretty Poison | 1968 | Morton Azenauer |
| Judd for the Defense | 1968 | TV Series | Vern Merritt |
| Of Mice and Men | 1968 | TV Movie |
| Mission: Impossible | 1967 | TV Series | Alex Morley |
| The Invaders | 1967 | TV Series | Police Sgt. Ernie Goldhaver |
| The Borgia Stick | 1967 | TV Movie | Smith |
| Sweet Love, Bitter | 1967 |
| Seconds | 1966 | Arthur Hamilton |
| The Edge of Night | 1966 | TV Series | Sgt. Kendrick |
| Inherit the Wind | 1965 | TV Movie | Rev. Brown |
| Slattery's People | 1965 | TV Series | Dr. Judd Holmes |
| The Patty Duke Show | 1965 | TV Series | Coach Johnson |
| For the People | 1965 | TV Series | Homer Canfield / Det. Lt. Barrows |
| The Defenders | 1964-1965 | TV Series | Roche / FBI Agent Slattery |
| Hamlet | 1964/II | Gravedigger |
| East Side/West Side | 1963 | TV Series | Mr. Cavan |
| Play of the Week | 1960 | TV Series |
| The Closing Door | 1960 | TV Movie |
| Danger | 1951 | TV Series |
| The Web | 1951 | TV Series |
| The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse | 1951 | TV Series | Neil Dalton / Hotstuff |
| Treasury Men in Action | 1951 | TV Series |
| Kraft Theatre | 1951 | TV Series |
| Fourteen Hours | 1951 | Fireman (uncredited) |
| Hands of Mystery | 1949 | TV Series |
| Actor's Studio | 1948-1949 | TV Series | Mr. Abrams |
| The Clock | 1949 | TV Series |
| The Naked City | 1948 | Police Dispatcher (uncredited) |
| Numb | 2003 |
| Sunset Strip | 2000 | Mr. Niederhaus |
| The Real Guernika | 1999 | Short | John (Abraham Lincoln Brigade Veteran) |
| The Dogwalker | 1999 | Ike |
| You've Got Mail | 1998 | Schuyler Fox |
| A Price Above Rubies | 1998 | Rebbe Moshe |
| Here Dies Another Day | 1997 | Brace |
| Walking to Waldheim | 1997 | Short | Hyman Goldblatt |
| The Hotel Manor Inn | 1997 | Gus |
| Touched by an Angel | 1996 | TV Series | Horace Widdenberg |
| Going Home | 1996 | Short | Arthur |
| The Great Defender | 1995 | TV Series | Osbourne |
| Sweet Justice | 1994 | TV Series | Arlen Braddock |
| ER | 1994 | TV Series | Mr. Franks |
| Screen One | 1993 | TV Series | Waldo |
| The American Clock | 1993 | TV Movie | Older Lee Baumler |
| Seinfeld | 1993 | TV Series | Frank |
| Lady Boss | 1992 | TV Movie | Abe Panther |
| Married with Children | 1991 | TV Series | Col. Van Pelt |
| Iron Maze | 1991 | Mayor Peluso |
| Sibling Rivalry | 1990 | Charles Turner Sr. |
| Grand | 1990 | TV Series | Harris Weldon |
| National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation | 1989 | Clark, Sr. |
| Roseanne | 1989 | TV Series | Al Harris |
| A Peaceable Kingdom | 1989 | TV Series | Jacob Brofman |
| Annie McGuire | 1988-1989 | TV Series | Red McGuire |
| Homesick | 1988 | Short | Grampa |
| Superman 50th Anniversary | 1988 | TV Movie documentary | Morton Simon, Dry Cleaner |
| The Wizard of Loneliness | 1988 | Doc |
| Matlock | 1988 | TV Series | Sam Gerard |
| The Equalizer | 1987 | TV Series | Jack Rattigan |
| CBS Schoolbreak Special | 1987 | TV Series | Gen. David Norman |
| As Summers Die | 1986 | TV Movie | Augustus Tompkins |
| Charmed Lives | 1986 | TV Series | Frank Vionelli |
| Who's the Boss? | 1986 | TV Series | Frank Vionelli |
| Trapper John, M.D. | 1980-1986 | TV Series | Dr. Frances McDuffy / Ben Calvert |
| Vital Signs | 1986 | TV Movie |
| The Right of the People | 1986 | TV Movie | Hollander |
| Joshua and the Battle of Jericho | 1986 | Video short voice |
| Means and Ends | 1985 | Bill Henderson |
| Our Family Honor | 1985 | TV Series | Nick McGowan |
| The Paper Chase | 1983-1985 | TV Series | Rice |
| Prizzi's Honor | 1985 | Angelo 'Pop' Partanna |
| The Execution | 1985 | TV Movie | Judge |
| Old Friends | 1984 | TV Movie | Phil Forbes |
| Emerald Point N.A.S. | 1984 | TV Series | Adm. James Marquette |
| The Facts of Life | 1984 | TV Series | Ward Beaumont |
| Dynasty | 1983 | TV Series | Judge Henry Kendall |
| A Rose for Emily | 1983 | Short | Mr. Grierson |
| Shooting Stars | 1983 | TV Movie | Producer |
| Voyagers! | 1983 | TV Series | Gardiner Greene Hubbard |
| Quincy M.E. | 1982-1983 | TV Series | Peter Muscanni / Arthur Degauss |
| Gun Shy | 1983 | TV Series | Phineas Richmond |
| Kentucky Woman | 1983 | TV Movie | Reverend Palkstater |
| Frances | 1982 | Kindly Judge |
| Family Ties | 1982 | TV Series | Jake Keaton |
| Private Benjamin | 1982 | TV Series | Gen. Norris |
| The Adventures of Pollyanna | 1982 | TV Movie | Mr. Muller |
| Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | 1982 | TV Series | Mr. Muller |
| Bret Maverick | 1981 | TV Series | Frenchy Montana |
| Darkroom | 1981 | TV Series | Arthur Desmond |
| Best of the West | 1981 | TV Series | The Chairman |
| Killing at Hell's Gate | 1981 | TV Movie | Attorney General |
| The Adventures of Nellie Bly | 1981 | TV Movie | Joseph Pulitzer |
| Park Place | 1981 | TV Series |
| Dallas | 1981 | TV Series | Lincoln Hargrove |
| Nero Wolfe | 1981 | TV Series | Ryan O'Malley |
| Lovely But Deadly | 1981 | Franklin Van Dyke |
| Angie | 1979-1980 | TV Series | Randall Benson |
| Hagen | 1980 | TV Series | Lt. Macray |
| Eischied | 1979 | TV Series | Abe Phillips |
| Nero Wolfe | 1979 | TV Movie | Lon Cohen |
| M*A*S*H | 1979 | TV Series | Gen. Budd Haggerty |
| Blind Ambition | 1979 | TV Mini-Series | John Mitchell |
| Vega$ | 1979 | TV Series | Oscar Duncan |
| Kaz | 1979 | TV Series |
| Backstairs at the White House | 1979 | TV Mini-Series | Sen. Fall |
