{{short description|American actor (1933–1996)}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Herb Edelman | image = Herb Edelman The Good Guys 1969.JPG | caption = Edelman as Bert on ''The Good Guys'', 1969 | birth_name = Herbert Edelman | birth_date = {{birth date|1933|11|05}} | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1996|07|21|1933|11|05}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | resting_place = Montefiore Cemetery, Springfield Gardens, Queens, New York, U.S. | education = Brooklyn College | alma_mater = Cornell University | occupation = {{flatlist| * Actor * comedian }} | years_active = 1963–1995 | television = ''The Golden Girls'' <br> ''The Good Guys''<br>''Big John, Little John'' | spouse = {{Marriage|Louise Sorel|1964|1970|end=div}} | partner = Christina Pickles (1984–1996, his death)<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|work=The New York Times|date=July 27, 1996|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/27/nyregion/herb-edelman-62-a-character-actor.html|title=Herb Edelman, 62, A Character Actor}}</ref> | children = 2 | module = {{Infobox military person | embed = yes | allegiance = {{USA}} | branch = 25px United States Army | service_years = | rank = | unit = 25px Armed Forces Radio Service | battles = Korean War | awards = }} }} '''Herbert "Herb" Edelman''' (November 5, 1933 – July 21, 1996) was an American comedian, and actor of stage, film and television.<ref name=NYT/> 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''.<ref name=NYT/> He also had a recurring role on the 1980s medical drama ''St. Elsewhere''.

==Early life and career== [[File:The Good Guys cast 1968.jpg|thumb|The cast of ''The Good Guys'', 1968: From left: Bob Denver, Edelman and Joyce Van Patten]] Edelman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 5, 1933. His parents, Jennie ({{née}} 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,<ref>{{cite news |title=Services set for actor Herb Edelman |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/07/24/Services-set-for-actor-Herb-Edelman/2314838180800/ |access-date=26 April 2020 |work=United Press International |date=July 24, 1996}}</ref> 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).<ref name="Ind_obit">{{cite news |last1=Hayward |first1=Anthony |title=Obituary : Herb Edelman |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-herb-edelman-1331086.html |access-date=26 April 2020 |work=The Independent |date=29 July 1996}}</ref>

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)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Howard |first1=Alan R. |title='The Way We Were': THR's 1973 Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/way-we-were-review-1973-movie-1147992 |access-date=26 April 2020 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=16 October 2018}}</ref> 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,<ref name="NYT" /> most frequently appearing as New York Police Department Lieutenant Artie Gelber. His last role was in an episode of ''Burke's Law''.<ref name="Ind_obit" />

==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. <ref name="NYT" /> 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.<ref name=Wilson>{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Scott |title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons |date=2016 |publisher=McFarland and Company |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=978-0-7864-7992-4 |page=219 |edition=Third |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ |access-date=23 September 2016}}</ref>

==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1967 | ''In Like Flint'' | Russian Premier | |- | 1967 | ''Barefoot in the Park'' | Harry Pepper | |- | 1968 | ''P.J.'' | Charlie |Alternative title: ''New Face in Hell'' |- | 1968 | ''I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' | Murray | Alternative title: ''Kiss My Butterfly'' |- | 1968 | ''{{sortname|The|Odd Couple|dab=film}}'' | Murray | |- | 1972 | ''{{sortname|The|War Between Men and Women}}'' | Howard Mann | |- | 1973 | ''{{sortname|The|Way We Were}}'' | Bill Verso | |- | 1974 | ''{{sortname|The|Front Page|dab=1974 film}}'' | Schwartz | Credited as Herbert Edelman |- | 1974 | ''{{sortname|The|Yakuza}}'' | 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 | ''{{sortname|The|Naked Truth|dab=1992 film}}'' | Rupert Hess | Credited as Herbert Edelman |- | 1995 | ''Cops n Roberts'' | | (final film role) |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1964 | ''{{sortname|The|Reporter|dab=TV series}}'' | Benny | Episode: "How Much for a Prince?" |- | 1965 | ''{{sortname|The|Nurses|dab=Primetime CBS drama}}'' | 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 | ''{{sortname|The|Girl from U.N.C.L.E.}}'' | 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 | ''{{sortname|The|Flying Nun}}'' | Albion "Al" Caine | Episode: "Ah Love, Could You and I Conspire?" |- | 1968–70 | ''{{sortname|The|Good Guys|dab=1968 TV series}}'' | Bert Gramus | 42 episodes |- | 1971 | ''{{sortname|The|Bill Cosby Show}}'' | 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 | ''{{sortname|The|Bold Ones: The New Doctors}}'' | Howard Feinstein | Episode: "A Quality of Fear" |- | 1972 | ''Temperatures Rising'' | Dr. Patterson | Episode: "RX: Christmas" |- | 1973 | ''Ironside'' | David Wollens | Episode: "Murder by One" |- | 1973 | ''{{sortname|The|New Dick Van Dyke Show}}'' | George Benson | Episode: "One of the Boys" |- | 1973 | ''{{sortname|The|Partridge Family}}'' | 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" |- | 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 |- | 1980–81 |''Ladies' 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 | ''{{sortname|The|Fall Guy}}'' | Hal Vargas movie producer | Episode: "Reel Trouble" |- | 1985 | ''{{sortname|The|Paper Chase|dab=TV series}}'' | 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 |''{{sortname|The|Golden Girls}}'' | Stan Zbornak | 26 episodes |- | 1987 | ''Matlock'' | Arthur Rydell | Episode: "The Rat Pack" |- | 1988 | ''Beauty and the Beast'' | Harold Levinson | Episode: "Temptation" |- | 1989 | ''{{sortname|The|Famous Teddy Z}}'' | 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 | ''{{sortname|The|Bradys}}'' | 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 | ''{{sortname|The|Golden Palace}}'' | Stanley Zbornak | Episode: "One Angry Stan" |- | 1994 | ''{{sortname|The|Mommies|dab=TV series}}'' | Therapist | Episode: "The Exercist" |}

==Award nominations== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Association ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result |- | 1987 | rowspan="2"| Primetime Emmy Awards | rowspan="2"| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | rowspan="2"| ''The Golden Girls'' | {{nom}} |- | 1988 | {{nom}} |- |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IBDB name}} * {{IMDb name|248983}} * {{Find a Grave|6502791}} * [http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/TalesOfTheUnexpected.htm Classic Television Archive: Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (1977)]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edelman, Herb}} Category:1933 births Category:1996 deaths Category:20th-century American male actors Category:20th-century American Jews Category:American male film actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:Brooklyn College alumni Category:Cornell University alumni Category:Deaths from emphysema Category:Jewish American military personnel Category:Military personnel from New York City Category:Male actors from Brooklyn Category:United States Army personnel of the Korean War Category:Jews from New York (state) Category:Jewish American male actors Category:Burials at Montefiore Cemetery