# Maury Chaykin

Maury Alan Chaykin (July 27, 1949 – July 27, 2010) was an American-Canadian actor. Described as "one of the most recognizable faces in Canadian cinema," he was best known for his portrayal of Rex Stout's detective Nero Wolfe on the television series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–2002), as well as for his work as a character actor in many films and television programs.
His notable film appearances include WarGames (1983), Twins (1988), Dances with Wolves (1990), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Money for Nothing (1993), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Cutthroat Island (also 1995), The Sweet Hereafter (1997), Mouse Hunt (also 1997), The Mask of Zorro (1998), Entrapment (1999) and Mystery, Alaska (also 1999), Being Julia (2004), Blindness (2008), and Barney's Version (2010). During the 1990s, he was a frequent collaborator of Toronto New Wave director Atom Egoyan. On television, he starred as Sam Blecher on the first two seasons of the Canadian dramedy Less Than Kind (2008–2010).
Chaykin was a three-time Genie Award nominee, winning Best Actor in a Leading Role for Whale Music (1994), and a two-time Gemini Award winner. He won two Canadian Comedy Awards and an ACTRA Award for his work on Less Than Kind.

## Early life

Chaykin was born to Jewish parents in Brooklyn, New York. His American father, Irving J. Chaykin (1912–2007), was born in Brooklyn, and was a professor of accountancy at City College of New York. His Canadian mother, Clarice Chaykin (née Bloomfield, 1921–2012), was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but raised in Montreal, Quebec, since the age of three. She graduated from Beth Israel Hospital nursing school in Newark, New Jersey. Chaykin's Montreal-born maternal uncle, George Bloomfield (1930–2011), was a veteran Canadian director, producer, writer and actor who directed Chaykin in a number of projects for film and television.
Raised in New York City, Chaykin studied drama at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, where he co-founded an avant-garde troupe called the Swamp Fox Theater Group. After performing uninvited at an underground theatre festival in Toronto, Ontario, he was encouraged by artistic director Ken Gass to relocate there. He subsequently moved to Toronto in 1974, where he resided until his death.

## Career

Chaykin was known for portrayals of blustery supporting characters. One of his rare leading roles was Nero Wolfe. Chaykin first played the legendary detective in The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2000), an A&E telefilm adaptation of the 1953 novel by Rex Stout. Timothy Hutton costarred in the production as Archie Goodwin. The New York Times reported Chaykin's "undisguised delight" at starring in the promotion for The Golden Spiders: "There's an extraordinary billboard up on Sunset Boulevard right now, with a humongous photograph of my face. ... I drive by it constantly, back and forth, back and forth." The original movie's success led to the weekly series, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, which played for two seasons on A&E and aired internationally. Chaykin and Hutton had worked together previously, albeit briefly, in the 1985 film Turk 182; and they worked together subsequently, in the 2006 film Heavens Fall.
Two of Chaykin's early motion picture roles brought him public recognition: computer programmer Jim Sting in WarGames and prosecution witness Sam Tipton in My Cousin Vinny. In 1990, he had a small but pivotal role in the film Dances with Wolves, portraying Major Fambrough, an Army fort commander who kills himself as a result of becoming insane.
Chaykin had his first starring role in Whale Music, a 1994 film in which he played a burned-out rock star, a character based largely on Brian Wilson. Chaykin was named Best Actor at the 15th Genie Awards for his portrayal.
Chaykin also had roles on the television series Seeing Things and Emily of New Moon as well as a recurring role as the intergalactic gourmand Nerus (a nod to Nero Wolfe) in Stargate SG-1.
Chaykin portrayed the colorful bookie Frank Perlin opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman's compulsive gambler Dan Mahowny in Owning Mahowny, a film that critic Roger Ebert named as one of the ten best of 2003. In 2006, Chaykin appeared in an episode of the Ken Finkleman miniseries At the Hotel and received a Gemini Award for best performance by an actor in a guest role. He had a semi-recurring role in the HBO series Entourage, as volatile movie producer Harvey Weingard, an inspiration of the soon-to-be disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. He also appeared as Stan Deane, father of Kevin Zegers' character Woody Deane, in the 2006 romantic comedy It's a Boy Girl Thing.
Chaykin starred as Sam Blecher, the owner of a family-run driving school in Winnipeg, in the first two seasons (2008–2010) of the Canadian comedy-drama television series Less Than Kind. The series received the 2010 Gemini Award for Best Comedy Program or Series.
"Sam is an out-of-control, good-hearted, big-hearted person who just can't quite get it right with his family," Chaykin told Q radio interviewer Jian Ghomeshi in April 2010. "He's full of love but he can't express it. But what he does express is anxiety, desperation, and the need to dominate, which is kind of pathetic." Asked whether he liked the character, Chaykin replied, "I love him. I do, I really do, and it's the same kind of love that a person has for family — where you see their foibles but at the same time you embrace them because they are a part of you. And Sam certainly is a part of me."
In 2011, Chaykin posthumously received the ACTRA Toronto Award for Outstanding Performance — Male for his performance as Sam Blecher in Less Than Kind. He had been nominated for the award in 2003, for his portrayal of Nero Wolfe.

## Personal life

Chaykin's first marriage, to Canadian producer Ilana Frank, ended in divorce. He was subsequently married to Canadian actress Susannah Hoffmann, with whom he had one daughter, Rose. Best known for having played Jen Pringle in the Anne of Avonlea series, Hoffmann had a supporting role in a 2002 episode of the television series A Nero Wolfe Mystery, in which Chaykin starred.
Chaykin was a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.

## Critical appraisal

Writing for the Toronto International Film Festival, Brian D. Johnson summarized Chaykin's screen persona as "[bringing] an unnerving edge to whatever character he plays, a disturbing sense of dissociation. But while all his roles are weird, each is weird in its own way. Modifying his signature from one role to the next, Chaykin gives the impression of creating the character as the camera rolls."
Bruce Weber of The New York Times posthumously described Chaykin as "a ubiquitous character actor who specialized in comic roles with disturbing undertones and disturbing roles with comic undertones."

## Death

Maury Chaykin died in Toronto on July 27, 2010, his 61st birthday, from complications of a heart valve infection.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1975 | Me | Oliver Jordan | John Palmer | |
| 1980 | Nothing Personal | Kanook | George Bloomfield | |
| 1980 | Double Negative | Rollins | George Bloomfield | |
| 1980 | The Kidnapping of the President | Harvey Cannon | George Mendeluk | |
| 1981 | Death Hunt | Clarence | Peter R. Hunt | |
| 1982 | Soup for One | Dr. Wexler | Jonathan Kaufer | |
| 1982 | Highpoint | Falco | Peter Carter | |
| 1983 | Curtains | Monty | Richard Ciupka Peter Simpson | |
| 1983 | WarGames | Jim Sting | John Badham | Maurys scene directed by Martin Brest |
| 1983 | Of Unknown Origin | Dan Errol | George P. Cosmatos | |
| 1984 | Harry & Son | Lawrence | Paul Newman | |
| 1984 | Mrs. Soffel | Guard Charlie Reynolds | Gillian Armstrong | |
| 1985 | Turk 182 | Man In Wheelchair | Bob Clark | |
| 1985 | Def-Con 4 | Vinny | Paul Donovan | |
| 1986 | The Vindicator | Burt Arthurs | Jean-Claude Lord | |
| 1986 | Meatballs III: Summer Job | Huey | George Mendeluk | |
| 1987 | The Bedroom Window | Pool Player | Curtis Hanson | |
| 1987 | Wild Thing | Jonathan Trask | Max Reid | |
| 1987 | Future Block | Voice | Kevin McCracken |
| 1987 | Nowhere to Hide | Marchais | Mario Philip Azzopardi | |
| 1987 | Hearts of Fire | Charlie Kelso | Richard Marquand | |
| 1987 | Caribe | Captain Burdoch | Michael Kennedy | |
| 1988 | Higher Education | Guido | John Sheppard | Uncredited |
| 1988 | Stars and Bars | Freeborn Gage | Pat O'Connor | |
| 1988 | Iron Eagle II | Sgt. Neville Downs | Sidney J. Furie | |
| 1988 | Twins | Burt Klane | Ivan Reitman | |
| 1989 | Millennium | Roger Keane | Michael Anderson | |
| 1989 | Cold Comfort | Floyd Lucas | Vic Sarin | |
| 1989 | George's Island | Mr. Droonfield | Paul Donovan | |
| 1989 | Breaking In | Vincent Tucci | Bill Forsyth | |
| 1990 | Where the Heart Is | Harry | John Boorman | |
| 1990 | Mr. Destiny | Guzelman | James Orr | |
| 1990 | Dances with Wolves | Maj. Fambrough | Kevin Costner | |
| 1991 | The Adjuster | Bubba | Atom Egoyan | |
| 1991 | The Pianist | Cody | Claude Gagnon | |
| 1991 | Montréal vu par... | Jurgen Van Doom | Atom Egoyan | Segment: "En passant" |
| 1992 | My Cousin Vinny | Sam Tipton | Jonathan Lynn | |
| 1992 | Leaving Normal | Leon "Crazy-As" Pendleton | Edward Zwick | |
| 1992 | Buried on Sunday | Dexter Lexcannon | Paul Donovan | |
| 1992 | Hero | Winston | Stephen Frears | |
| 1993 | Sommersby | Dawson | Jon Amiel | |
| 1993 | Money for Nothing | Vincente Goldoni | Ramón Menéndez | |
| 1993 | Josh and S.A.M. | Pizza Man | Billy Weber | |
| 1993 | Beethoven's 2nd | Cliff Klamath | Rod Daniel | |
| 1994 | Exotica | Exotica Club Client | Atom Egoyan | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Whale Music | Desmond Howl | Richard J. Lewis | |
| 1994 | Camilla | Harold Cara | Deepa Mehta | |
| 1994 | Transplant | | Bradley Walsh | Short film |
| 1995 | Unstrung Heroes | Arthur Lidz | Diane Keaton | |
| 1995 | Devil in a Blue Dress | Matthew Terell | Carl Franklin | |
| 1995 | Cutthroat Island | John Reed | Renny Harlin | |
| 1996 | Harriet the Spy | Holiday Pageant Director | Bronwen Hughes | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Love and Death on Long Island | Irving Buckmuller | Richard Kwietniowski | |
| 1997 | The Sweet Hereafter | Wendell Walker | Atom Egoyan | |
| 1997 | Gone Fishin' | Kirk | Christopher Cain | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Strip Search | Tomas | Rod Hewitt | |
| 1997 | Pale Saints | The Pirate | J. H. Wyman | |
| 1997 | A Life Less Ordinary | Tod Johnson | Danny Boyle | |
| 1997 | Mouse Hunt | Alexander Falko | Gore Verbinski | |
| 1998 | Jerry and Tom | Billy | Saul Rubinek | |
| 1998 | The Mask of Zorro | Prison Warden | Martin Campbell | |
| 1999 | Let the Devil Wear Black | Bruce | Stacy Title | |
| 1999 | Entrapment | Conrad Greene | Jon Amiel | |
| 1999 | Touched | Bert | Mort Ransen | |
| 1999 | Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang | Mr. Cooper / Louie Loser | George Bloomfield | |
| 1999 | Mystery, Alaska | Bailey Pruitt | Jay Roach | |
| 2000 | What's Cooking? | Herbie Seelig | Gurinder Chadha | |
| 2000 | The Art of War | FBI Agent Frank Capella | Christian Duguay | |
| 2001 | Bartleby | Ernest | Jonathan Parker | |
| 2001 | Plan B | Donald Rossi | Greg Yaitanes | |
| 2001 | On Their Knees | Norman | Anais Granofsky | |
| 2002 | Past Perfect | Chuck | Daniel MacIvor | |
| 2002 | The Wet Season | Uncle Rick | Martha Ferguson | Short |
| 2002 | Hostage | The Kidnapper | John Woo | Segment for the BMW short film series The Hire |
| 2003 | Owning Mahowny | Frank Perlin | Richard Kwietniowski | |
| 2004 | Sugar | Stanley | John Palmer | |
| 2004 | Being Julia | Walter Gibbs | István Szabó | |
| 2004 | Intern Academy | Dr. Roger "Tony" Toussant | Dave Thomas | |
| 2004 | Wilby Wonderful | Mayor Brent Fisher | Daniel MacIvor | |
| 2005 | Where the Truth Lies | Sally Sanmarco | Atom Egoyan | |
| 2006 | Heavens Fall | Lyle Harris | Terry Green | |
| 2006 | It's a Boy Girl Thing | Stan Deane | Nick Hurran | |
| 2008 | Production Office | Shelly | Deborah Marks Steve Solomos | |
| 2008 | The Grift | Rusty | Ralph E. Portillo | |
| 2008 | Blindness | The Accountant | Fernando Meirelles | |
| 2008 | Adoration | Passenger & Professor On-Line | Atom Egoyan | |
| 2008 | Bull | Roland Gow | Kent Tessman | |
| 2008 | Hooked on Speedman | Dietrich Baum | Michelle Ouellet | |
| 2009 | Cooking with Stella | H.E. Mr. Durand | Dilip Mehta | |
| 2010 | Barney's Version | John Emory | Richard J. Lewis | |
| 2010 | Casino Jack | Anthony "Big Tony" Moscatiello | George Hickenlooper | |
| 2011 | Conduct Unbecoming | Colonel Fox | Sidney J. Furie | Posthumous release |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | King of Kensington | Unknown | Episode: "Polyfur" |
| 1980 | Jimmy B. and André | Bruno | TV movie |
| 1981 | Just Jessie | Joey Harper | TV movie |
| 1981 | The July Group | Harvey | TV movie |
| 1982–86 | Seeing Things | Randall Jackson | 4 episodes |
| 1983 | ABC Weekend Special | "Mousey" | Episode: "Horatio Alger Updated: Frank and Fearless" |
| 1983 | American Playhouse | Gondol | Episodes: "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" |
| 1984 | The Guardian | Rudy Simbro | TV movie |
| 1984 | Hockey Night | "Bum" Johnston | TV movie |
| 1985 | In Like Flynn | Williams | TV movie |
| 1985 | Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks | Harold Chamberlain Banks | TV movie |
| 1985 | The Suicide Murders | Sid | TV movie |
| 1986 | Act of Vengeance | Claude Vealey | TV movie |
| 1986 | Philip Marlowe, Private Eye | Lieutenant Copernik | Episode: "Red Wind" |
| 1986 | Adderly | Russian Agent | Episode: "Requiem" |
| 1986 | Night Heat | Mallory / Merle Marlowe | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Crime Story | Steven Kordo | Episode: "Crime Pays" |
| 1986 | Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show | Fire Captain | Episode: "There's an Elephant Stuck Up That Tree" |
| 1987 | Diamonds | Murray Wolf | Episode: "Here Comes the Bride" |
| 1987 | Race for the Bomb | General Leslie Groves | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Hot Paint | Wilensky | TV movie |
| 1989 | The Twilight Zone | James L. "Fats" Brown | Episode: "A Game of Pool" |
| 1990 | Street Legal | Ben Tochet | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Labor of Love | Unknown | TV movie |
| 1991 | Conspiracy of Silence | Lawyer D'Arcy Bancroft | Episode: "Episode #1.1" |
| 1992 | Split Images | Walter Kouza | TV movie |
| 1993 | Matrix | Lionel Meeks / Charles Meeks | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Sugartime | Tony Accardo | TV movie |
| 1996 | If Looks Could Kill | Dr. Richard Boggs | TV movie |
| 1997 | Keeping the Promise | Ben Loomis | TV movie |
| 1997 | La Femme Nikita | Rudy | Episode: "Innocent" |
| 1997 | Northern Lights | Ben Rubadue | TV movie |
| 1997–98 | Due South | Pike / Jasper Gutman | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Tracey Takes On... | Kurt Rasmussen | Episode: "Marriage" |
| 1998 | Emily of New Moon | Lofty John | Episode: "Paradise Lost" |
| 1998 | Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Dr. Bob Dalhousie | Episode: "Harlequin" |
| 1999 | Lexx | Pa Gollean | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Made in Canada | Captain McGee | Episode: "For the Children" |
| 1999 | Joan of Arc | Robert de Baudricourt | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery | Nero Wolfe | TV movie |
| 2001 | Varian's War | Marcello | TV movie |
| 2001–02 | A Nero Wolfe Mystery | Nero Wolfe | 20 episodes |
| 2001 | Bleacher Bums | Billy, The Scorekeeper | TV movie |
| 2002 | Crossed Over | Ethan Lowry | TV movie |
| 2003 | Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales | Dan Weisman | TV movie |
| 2003 | Andromeda | Citizen Eight | Episode: "Pieces of Eight" |
| 2004 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Joseph Greene / Joe Landers | Episode: "No More Bets" |
| 2004 | The Eleventh Hour | Dr. Jackson | Episode: "The Revenge Specialist" |
| 2004 | Sex Traffic | Ernie Dwight | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | The Hunt for the BTK Killer | Robert Beattie | TV movie |
| 2005–06 | Stargate SG-1 | Nerus | 2 episodes |
| 2005–07 | Entourage | Harvey Weingard | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | Boston Legal | Ryan Myerson | Episode: "Live Big" |
| 2006 | At the Hotel' | Jerry Mitchell | Episode: "The Perfect Couple" |
| 2006 | Trailer Park Boys | Chief of Police | Episode: "Gimme My Fuckin Money or Randy's Dead" |
| 2006 | Eureka | Sheriff William Cobb | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2007 | Superstorm | Senator Wallace | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Elijah | Premier Howard Pawley | TV movie |
| 2008 | Glitch | Mr. Linkletter | TV movie |
| 2008 | Murder on Her Mind | John Emory | TV movie |
| 2008–10 | Less Than Kind | Sam Blecher | 26 episodes |
| 2009 | Abroad | Lord Oldenberg | TV movie |
| 2011 | The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour | Doctor Funtime | Episode: "Maury Chaykin Fucked Us" |

## Partial theatre credits

Select theatre credits for Maury Chaykin were part of his resumé at Edna Talent Management, Ltd.
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Company |
| 1968 | Oh! What A Lovely War | Ambassador | Tom Moore | University at Buffalo Theatre |
| 1973 | Fat Fell Down | Spike | | Theater for the New City |
| 1974 | Me? | Oliver Jordan | John Palmer | Toronto Free Theatre |
| 1974 | Tony's Woman | Alexq | Hrant Alianak | Theatre Passe Muraille |
| 1977 | Gossip | Sam Lewis | John Palmer | Toronto Free Theatre |
| 1977 | The Boy Bishop | De Bois | Ken Gass | Factory Theatre Lab |
| 1977 | Romulus the Great | Zeno | Marion André | Theatre Plus |
| 1978 | Gimme Shelter | Ton | Des McAnuff | Brooklyn Academy of Music Dodger Theatre |
| 1979 | Leave It to Beaver Is Dead | Thompson | Des McAnuff | The Public Theatre |
| 1985 | A Man's a Man | Jip | Robert Woodruff | La Jolla Playhouse |

## Awards and honours

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1986 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Single Dramatic Program | Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks | Nominated |
| 1989 | Genie Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | Iron Eagle II | Nominated |
| 1990 | Genie Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Cold Comfort | Nominated |
| 1994 | Genie Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Whale Music | Won |
| 1997 | National Board of Review | Best Acting by an Ensemble | The Sweet Hereafter | Won |
| 1998 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series | La Femme Nikita ("Innocent") | Won |
| 1998 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series | Emily of New Moon ("Paradise Lost") | Nominated |
| 2003 | ACTRA Toronto Award | Outstanding Performance – Male | A Nero Wolfe Mystery | Nominated |
| 2006 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series | At the Hotel ("The Perfect Couple") | Won |
| 2009 | Canadian Comedy Award | Best Performance by an Ensemble – Television | Less Than Kind | Won |
| 2010 | Canadian Comedy Award | Best Performance by an Ensemble – Television | Less Than Kind | Won |
| 2011 | ACTRA Toronto Award | Outstanding Performance – Male | Less Than Kind | Won |