Merwin Goldsmith, Veteran Actor of Stage and Screen, Dies at 81
(© Joseph Marzullo)
Merwin Goldsmith, a veteran actor who appeared in Broadway and off-Broadway shows as well as on film and television, died Monday at his home in New York City. He was 81.
Born in Detroit on August 7, 1937, Goldsmith studied acting in London at both the Bristol Old Vic and the Liverpool Playhouse. He was supposed to make his Broadway debut in Leda Had a Little Swan in 1968, but the show closed after 14 previews. His official Broadway debut came in 1970 with the Marx Brothers musical Minnie's Boys. Other Broadway credits include Rex (1976) opposite Glenn Close, Me and My Girl (1986), and Grand Hotel (1989).
Off-Broadway, he appeared in La Bohème at the Public Theater (1984), An Imaginary Life (1993), and After-Play (1995) alongside Barbara Barrie and Anne Meara.
Goldsmith was also active in film and television, acting in films such as Quiz Show (1994), It Could Happen to You (1994), and The Hurricane (1999), and on NBC's Law & Order and CBS's The Good Wife, among other shows.
He is survived by his wife Barbara; his sister Barbara; his brothers Mark, Jonathan, and Steven; his stepson Jamie; and his granddaughter Sally.
