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I only knew a few of his performances in film and they really stand out in my memory because he was so damn good. He was also on stage and TV extensively.
Recently I saw "Born to Win" (1971), one of many intentionally demoralizing films about drug addiction gifted to us by Hollywood, who, for over four decades, spun many tales that generally followed this character arc: man has a life, man gets hooked, man's relationship with his dame suffers, man will do anything for a fix, things get worse, life sux, the end. If you've seen one, you've seen them all, and thought of topping yourself on the way out of the theater.
A year after Segal's entry into the druggy genre Al Pacino appeared in "Panic in Needle Park" and, despite the fact Pacino is usually a great actor, I find it almost unwatchable because it's just too depressing. Even though Born to Win is frame-for-frame just as demoralizing, somehow I love watching Segal in it. He's just that good.
Another one of my favorites with Segal was the Robert Altman film "California Split" (1974) co-starring Elliot Gould. Fantastic buddy movie.
May your memory be eternal, Mr. Segal.
Re: George Segal, the actor, passed on March 23, 2021
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2021 9:29 pm
by Michael
George Segal (1934 - 2021) Biography from Baseline Born As: George Segal, Jr. Born: February 13, 1934, Great Neck, Long Island, NY Education: Columbia University This tall, lanky actor and accomplished banjo player has specialized in playing intelligent, hyper city-dwellers. After a vogue as an off-beat leading man in the late 1960s and early 70s, Segal settled down to a career as a very busy character actor in films and on TV. He began his career on the New York stage with appearances in The Iceman Cometh (1956), Leave It to Jane (1959), The Knack (1964) and others. His first few films provided small roles: THE YOUNG DOCTORS (1961, and its 1964 sequel, THE NEW INTERNS), ACT ONE (1963), INVITATION TO A GUNFIGHTER (1964), and SHIP OF FOOLS (1965).
A thoughtful, versatile with a talent for wry, understated humor, Segal broke through as the anti-hero of KING RAT (1965), which shot him into scores of starring and supporting roles over the next 15 years. He was the male ingenue in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966), a gangster in THE ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE (1967), co-starred in the proto-BIG CHILL comedy BYE BYE BRAVERMAN (1968), hunted down Rod Steiger in NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY (also 1968) and was a beleaguered Jewish son in WHERE'S POPPA? (1970).
By the early 70s, Segal had become a romantic leading man for such actresses as Eva Marie Saint in LOVING and Barbra Streisand in THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (both 1970), Glenda Jackson in A TOUCH OF CLASS (1973), and Goldie Hawn in THE DUCHESS AND THE DIRTWATER FOX (1976). But by this time, his talent for nervous, urban comedy came to the fore, and while his roles sometimes got smaller, Segal was given the chance to show off his abilities. He and Robert Redford made a dashing pair of thieves in THE HOT ROCK (1972), he was a parody Sam Spade in THE BLACK BIRD (1975) and a comic bank robber with Jane Fonda in FUN WITH DICK AND JANE (1977).
Through the 80s, the quality of Segal's film roles declined (e.g., WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE?, 1978; the racial comedy CARBON COPY, 1981; Burt Reynolds' STICK, 1985). Things picked up with a supporting role in the hit LOOK WHO'S TALKING (1989), and equally impressive turns as Bette Midler's writer in FOR THE BOYS (1991), a Vietnam veteran in ME MYSELF AND I (1992), a sleazy TV executive seduced by Nicole Kidman in Gus Van Sant's TO DIE FOR (1995), Eric Roberts' father in IT'S MY PARTY and Ben Stiller's adoptive father in FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (both 1996). Later that year, he appeared with Barbra Streisand in THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES and Jim Carrey in THE CABLE GUY.
Television has also provided a good living for Segal since his 1966 turn as Biff in DEATH OF A SALESMAN (CBS). He has been featured in three short-lived series, the best-remembered of which was "Murphy's Law" (ABC, 1988-89). But he has made more than a dozen TV movies and appeared in numerous documentaries and variety specials. Among Segal's more successful roles have included George in OF MICE AND MEN (ABC, 1968), a snowbound salesman in DEADLY GAME (HBO, 1982), an IRS victim in MANY HAPPY RETURNS (CBS, 1986), and Ann-Margret's love interest in FOLLOWING HER HEART (NBC, 1994). Segal's group, The Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, has performed at Carnegie Hall, among other venues.
1961 The Young Doctors 1962 The Longest Day 1963 Act One 1964 Invitation To A Gunfighter 1964 The New Interns 1965 King Rat 1965 Ship Of Fools 1966 Lost Command 1966 The Quiller Memorandum 1966 Who'S Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? 1967 The St. Valentine'S Day Massacre 1968 Bye Bye Braverman 1968 No Way To Treat A Lady 1969 The Bridge At Remagen 1969 The Southern Star 1970 The Girl Who Couldn'T Say No/Tenderly 1970 Loving 1970 The Owl And The Pussycat 1970 Where'S Poppa? 1971 Born To Win/Addict Producer, 1972 The Hot Rock 1973 Blume In Love 1973 A Touch Of Class 1974 California Split 1974 The Terminal Man 1975 The Black Bird Executive Producer, 1975 Russian Roulette 1976 The Duchess And The Dirtwater Fox 1977 Fun With Dick And Jane 1977 Rollercoaster 1978 Who Is Killing The Great Chefs Of Europe? 1979 Lost And Found 1980 The Last Married Couple In America 1981 Carbon Copy 1983 Trackdown: Finding The Goodbar Killer 1984 The Cold Room 1984 The Zany Adventures Of Robin Hood 1985 Killing 'Em Softly 1985 Not My Kid 1985 Stick 1986 Many Happy Returns 1989 All'S Fair 1989 Look Who'S Talking 1990 The Endless Game 1991 For The Boys 1992 Me Myself And I 1993 Army Of One/Joshua Tree 1993 Look Who'S Talking Now 1994 Direct Hit 1995 The Babysitter 1995 Deep Down 1995 To Die For 1996 Flirting With Disaster 1996 It'S My Party 1996 The Cable Guy 1996 The Mirror Has Two Faces 2005 Heights 2005 Chutzpuh, This Is? 2005 Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone 2007 Three Days to Vegas 2007 My Wife Is Retarded 2009 2012 2009 Made for Each Other 2010 Love & Other Drugs 2010 Ollie Klublershturf vs. the Nazis 2014 The Tale of the Princess Kaguya 2014 Elsa & Fred
Re: George Segal, the actor, passed on March 23, 2021
Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2021 6:43 am
by Steve James
R.I.P.
Re: George Segal, the actor, passed on March 23, 2021
Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2021 4:10 pm
by jimmy
my (step)dad died today, ten year ago... soo.... ya know... only 365.2425 days in a year...