Judd Hirsch

**Judd Seymore Hirsch** (born March 15, 1935) is an American actor known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series *Taxi* (1978–1983), John Lacey on the NBC series *Dear John* (1988–1992), and Alan Eppes on the CBS series *NUMB3RS* (2005–2010). He is also well known for his career in theatre and for his roles in films such as *Ordinary People* (1980), *Running on Empty* (1988), *Independence Day* (1996), and *A Beautiful Mind* (2001). He also played as Arthur Przybyszewski in the CBS situation comedy *Superior Donuts* from 2017 to 2018.

## Career

Over the last several decades, Hirsch has distinguished himself in film, television, and theatre. The *Los Angeles Times* noted that Hirsch is "one of the very few actors who slips effortlessly from TV series to Broadway to feature films and back again, racking up awards and favorable reviews wherever he performs."

After appearing frequently on television in the 1970s, Hirsch gained stardom for his lead role of Alex Rieger in the popular sitcom *Taxi*, which ran from 1978 to 1983. For his performance in the series, in 1981 and again in 1983, Judd Hirsch won the Emmy Award for Lead Actor In a Comedy Series. Hirsch went on to play the title character on the modestly successful sitcom *Dear John* and in 1989 won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series in a Comedy or Musical for this role. He later teamed with Bob Newhart in the short-lived comedy *George and Leo*. He had also previously starred for one season in the series *Delvecchio*, playing a man called Eric (1976–1977).

In film, Hirsch received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the drama film *Ordinary People* (1980). His other 1980s films include the 1983 drama *Without a Trace*, the 1984 dramedies, *Teachers* and *The Goodbye People*, and the 1988 drama, *Running on Empty*, directed by Sidney Lumet and co-starring River Phoenix. In 1996 Hirsch portrayed the father of Jeff Goldblum's character in the blockbuster *Independence Day*, and in 2001 he played a professor in the acclaimed *A Beautiful Mind*.

Hirsch co-starred on the CBS Television drama, *NUMB3RS* (2005–2010), as Alan Eppes, father of FBI agent, Don Eppes (Rob Morrow), and Professor Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz). When Krumholtz was 13, he played son to Hirsch's father role in *Conversations with My Father*, a Herb Gardner play for which Hirsch won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. Krumholtz credits Hirsch with jump-starting his career after Hirsch chose him during the audition process for *Conversations*. Other noteworthy stage performances include *The Hot l Baltimore,* *Talley's Folly,* and his starring role in *I'm Not Rappaport,* for which Hirsch also won a Tony Award in 1986.

More recently, Hirsch guest-starred on episodes of *Warehouse 13*, *Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, and *The Whole Truth* (which saw him reunite with *Numb3rs* co-star Rob Morrow), among others, and lent his voice to the animated programs *Tom Goes to the Mayor* and *American Dad!* In 1999, he reprised his role from *Taxi* for a brief moment in *Man on the Moon*, the biopic of his co-star from *Taxi*, Andy Kaufman (portrayed by Jim Carrey). Judd has also appeared several times on the television show *Maron* as comedian Marc Maron's father.

From 2014 to 2015, he appeared as a series regular on the ABC television series *Forever*.

In 2016 Hirsch appeared on the CBS comedy series *The Big Bang Theory* portraying Leonard's (Johnny Galecki) father.

From 2017 to 2018, He appeared as a series regular on the CBS comedy *Superior Donuts*.

In 2019, Hirsch will guest star in the NBC thriller series *The Blacklist*.