Judd Seymore Hirsch is a highly respected and award-winning American actor who has established a successful career in theater, television, and cinema. He is widely recognized for his outstanding performances in the television sitcoms Taxi and Dear John. His notable film credits include Ordinary People and A Beautiful Mind, while his celebrated stage performances include I’m Not Rappaport and Conversations with My Father. Over several decades, Hirsch has built an impressive acting career, earning widespread acclaim and numerous prestigious awards. His portrayal of Alex Rieger in the American sitcom Taxi earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards. He also received a Golden Globe Award for playing John Lacey in the sitcom Dear John. His achievements in theater brought him two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play, recognizing his performances in I’m Not Rappaport and Conversations with My Father. Additionally, he won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Knock Knock. Hirsch’s accomplishments extend to the film industry as well, where he received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Dr. Tyrone C. Berger in the drama Ordinary People.
Childhood & Early Life
Judd Seymore Hirsch was born on March 15, 1935, in The Bronx, New York, United States. His father, Joseph Sidney Hirsch, worked as an electrician, while his mother was Sally Hirsch (née Kitzis). He spent his childhood in Brooklyn and The Bronx alongside his brother, Roland Hirsch.
Hirsch attended DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx, graduating in 1952. He subsequently enrolled at the City College of New York, where he earned a degree in physics. Before entering the entertainment world, he completed a period of service in the United States Army and worked as an engineer for Westinghouse Electric Company, an American nuclear power and technology firm.
Career of Judd Hirsch
Hirsch began his acting career with minor, uncredited appearances in films such as Jump (1971) and Serpico (1973). He later secured the lead role of defense attorney Murray Stone in The Law, a television film produced by Universal Television. The movie premiered on NBC on October 22, 1974. In 1975, he returned to the same character in a three-part television miniseries that carried the original film’s title.
In 1976, Hirsch appeared in several roles in the Broadway comedy Knock Knock. His performance earned him a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play.
That same year, he took on the title role of Sergeant Dominick “Delwop” Delvecchio in the CBS television series Delvecchio, which aired from September 9, 1976, to March 13, 1977. In 1977, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Mike in two episodes of the sitcom Rhoda.
Hirsch’s portrayal of George Schneider in the semi-autobiographical play Chapter Two, staged during 1977–1978, also earned him a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Play.
While continuing to work across television, film, and theater, Hirsch achieved widespread recognition through his leading role as Alex Rieger in the popular American sitcom Taxi. The series aired on ABC for five seasons, from September 12, 1978, to May 6, 1982, before moving to NBC, where it ran from September 30, 1982, to June 15, 1983. The show received 18 Emmy Awards and became one of the most celebrated sitcoms of its era. Hirsch was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series every year from 1979 through 1983, winning the award in 1981 and 1983.
In 1980, Hirsch delivered a critically acclaimed performance as Dr. Tyrone C. Berger in the Academy Award-winning drama Ordinary People. His portrayal earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, marking his only Oscar nomination to date, as well as a Golden Globe nomination in the same category. During that year, he also received Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations for playing Matt Friedman in the stage production Talley’s Folly.
Hirsch further strengthened his reputation as a theater performer with his leading role as Nat in Herb Gardner’s play I’m Not Rappaport. His performance earned him his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. The production ran for 891 performances at Broadway’s Booth Theatre, from November 19, 1985, to January 17, 1988.
He won his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for another work by Gardner, Conversations with My Father. The production opened at the Royale Theatre on Broadway on March 22, 1992, and concluded on March 14, 1993, after 402 performances and 30 previews.
Another major television success came with the NBC sitcom Dear John, which aired from 1988 to 1992. Hirsch starred as John Lacey, a preparatory school teacher, and his performance earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 1988.
Throughout his career, Hirsch appeared in numerous other television series, including George and Leo (1997–1998), NUMB3RS (2005–2010), Damages (2011–2012), Forever (2014–2015), and Superior Donuts (2017–2018). His television film credits include The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t (1979), The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988), and Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014).
Hirsch also gained recognition for his role as Julius Levinson, the father of David Levinson, played by Jeff Goldblum, in the blockbuster science-fiction film Independence Day. Released internationally on July 3, 1996, the movie became the highest-grossing film of the year. Hirsch reprised his role in the 2016 sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, which also performed successfully at the box office.
Another significant film in Hirsch’s career was A Beautiful Mind (2001), an American biographical drama based on the life of Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash. While Russell Crowe portrayed Nash, Hirsch appeared as Dr. Helinger. His performance earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
In 2011, Hirsch appeared alongside Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy in the heist comedy Tower Heist. His extensive filmography also includes Without a Trace (1983), The Goodbye People (1984), Running on Empty (1988), Zeyda and the Hitman (2004), and Altered Minds (2015). In August 2018, he joined the cast of the American crime drama Uncut Gems.
Family & Personal Life
Judd Hirsch married Elisa Sadaune in 1963, and their marriage ended in 1967. Their son, Alex Hirsch Music, was born in 1966.
On December 24, 1992, Hirsch married fashion designer Bonni Sue Chalkin. The couple had two children together, a daughter named Montana and a son named London. Their marriage eventually ended in divorce in 2005.