Detective Lennie Briscoe; Dead at 69

[RickM]

Real name is actually Jerry Orbach. His character really stood out in the show. He'll be missed by this fan.....

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=7&u=/ap/20041229/ap_on_en_tv/obit_jerry_orbach

"NEW YORK - Actor Jerry Orbach, who played a sardonic, seen-it-all cop on TV's "Law & Order" and scored on Broadway as a song-and-dance man, has died of prostate cancer at 69, a representative of the show said Wednesday.

Orbach died Tuesday night in Manhattan after several weeks of treatment, Audrey Davis of the public relations agency Lippin Group said."

[rcecale]

Well, I'm one fan who has already missed his sarcastic wit. I'm one who never seems to miss an episode of Law & Order that has him in it. No matter how many times I've seen it.

Definitely some sad news.

Randy

[Halm]

A terrific actor and IMO he carried Law & Order. He will be missed.

[smoak]

The main reason that L&O is not the show it once was. Very sad.

[gaijindabe]

Never know he was a song and dance man till recently... A real Broadway old timer...

[adamred]

Very sad. I had the honor of spending a day with him on the L&O set in NY. I was working at a building they often used to film in and I was in charge of making sure they didn't break anything all day. A really good guy, spent the afternoon playing cards with the crew right on the corner of 103rd St. and 5th Avenue.

He signed my call sheet! Anyway this fan will miss him as well.

Adam

[RickM]

Adam, Sounds like a great experience.

By the wording "died Tuesday night in Manhattan after several weeks of treatment" it seems that they caught the cancer at a very late stage (probably stage 4). In this day and age and at 69 yo I'd think this was preventable.

BTW, anyone know where he lived? I assume he was "local" his entire life.

[Hugh R]

Get your prostate exams!!! Personally, I look forward to them, and my colonoscopies.

[techweenie]

Damn.

I really liked him.

Thought he was great in everything I saw him in from Dirty Dancing to L&O. He will be missed.

[VaSteve]

****, that's a bummer. I thought he left for a spin off. The new guy sucks. What kinda of cop wears expensive light colored suits in NYC? And that hair...

I am a total L&O addict. I never knew the show existed before 2000, when I met my wife who was already an addict.

Now we try and guy what headline the episode was ripped from (new ones) and what repeat we're watching (old ones) before they get to the opening credits.

Big old bummer.

Jerry, here's a "dum-dum" for ya!!

[rcecale]

Originally posted by VaSteve
Jerry, here's a "dum-dum" for ya!!

Beautiful! That remark damn-near brought a tear to my eye. Well said!

Randy

[RickM]

Here's a sort of tribute to Jerry:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6765648/

A few great quotes that exemplify is style. I have an old friend who reminds me of Jerry like you wouldn't believe....anyway....

"What we learned about Lennie wasn’t much. Divorced twice, he was more than a little bitter about ex-wives and divorce lawyers. His comments tended to be along these lines: “My second wife always wanted a walk-in closet. Now I finally got one. Trouble is, I live in it” or “Crazy don’t mean stupid — my ex-wife’s living proof.”

There’s also this classic exchange between Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) and Briscoe on the topic of prostitution:

Rey: “You ever pay for it, Lennie?”
Lennie: “I was married, wasn't I?”

Another

Green: “Did anyone find any type of weapon in Peter Rubin’s home?”
Briscoe: “Not unless you count the world’s most boring record collection.”

[Adam]

That is sad.

I really enjoyed his work - it just won't be the same without him.

[nostatic]

in addition to L&O, he was the voice of Lumiere the candle in Beauty and the Beast. Very talented voice actor in addition to his on-screen stuff. For my money, the years with him and Waterson were the best L&O.

[speeder]

Terrible news, God I loved that guy. What a drag.

[klaucke]

He was my favorite person on the show, the sarcastic, witty comments were the nuts.

[DonDavis]

That stinks. I think I read that he was working on a new L&O spinoff, too.

[RickM]

Originally posted by nostatic
For my money, the years with him and Waterson were the best L&O.

I agree 100%. They were the stars of each "side" of the show.

[stomachmonkey]

No one in the media has mentioned his role in the Disney animated Beauty and the Beast.

He played Lumiere, the candle.

I'm gonna miss him, he did carry the show.

[TimT]

The Fantastiks