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{{Short description|Canadian actor and director (1935–2001)}}
{{Infobox actor
{{Use Canadian English|date=May 2023}}
| name = Al Waxman
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
| image= Al Waxman bronze in Kensington.jpg
{{Infobox person
| caption = A statue of Al Waxman
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|OOnt}}
| birthdate = {{birth date|1935|3|2|mf=y}}
| name = Al Waxman
| location = [[Toronto, Ontario]]
| image = Al Waxman bronze in Kensington.jpg
| deathdate = {{death date and age|2001|1|18|1935|3|2|mf=y}}
| notable roles = ''King of Kensington''
| caption = Statue of Al Waxman in [[Kensington Market]]
| birth_name = Albert Samuel Waxman

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|03|02|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Toronto, Ontario]], Canada
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2001|01|18|1935|03|02|mf=y}}
| death_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| resting_place = [[Pardes Shalom Cemetery]], [[Vaughan, Ontario]], Canada
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|director}}
| years_active = 1959–2001
}}
}}
'''Albert Samuel Waxman''', [[Order of Canada|CM]], [[Order of Ontario|O.Ont]] (March 2, 1935 – January 18, 2001) was a [[Canada|Canadian]] [[actor]] and [[film director|director]] of over 1000 productions on radio, television, film, and stage. He is best known for his starring roles in the television series ''[[King of Kensington]]'' ([[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]) and ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' ([[CBS]]).
'''Albert Samuel Waxman''', {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|OOnt}} (March 2, 1935 – January 18, 2001) was a Canadian actor and director of over 1,000 productions on radio, television, film, and stage. He is best known for his starring roles in the television series ''[[King of Kensington]]'' ([[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]) and ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' ([[CBS]]) and ''[[Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)|Twice in a Lifetime]]'' ([[CTV Television Network|CTV]]).


==Biography==
==Early life==
Waxman was born in [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]] to [[Jews|Jewish]] immigrants from [[Poland]]. His parents operated and owned Melinda Lunch, a small restaurant. His father, Aaron Waxman, died when Al was nine.<ref name="Waxman1">{{cite web |title=AL WAXMAN |publisher=Northern Stars |year=2006 |url=http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsvz/waxmanbio.html |access-date=2007-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211024221/http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsvz/waxmanbio.html |archive-date=2006-12-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Early life===
Waxman was born in [[Toronto, Ontario|Toronto]] to [[Jew]]ish immigrants from [[Poland]].


==Career==
His parents operated and owned Melinda Lunch, a small restaurant. His father, Aaron Waxman, died when Al was nine.<ref name="Waxman1">{{cite web | last =| first =| authorlink =| coauthors =| title=AL WAXMAN| publisher =Northern Stars| date =2006 | url =http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsvz/waxmanbio.html| format =| accessdate =2007-01-12 }}</ref>
Waxman's career began at the age of twelve on [[CBC Radio]], but it was not until 1975, when he began playing the role of Larry King on CBC's ''[[King of Kensington]]'', that he became a [[Canadians|Canadian]] icon.


In the 1980 award-winning film ''[[Atlantic City (1980 film)|Atlantic City]]'' starring [[Burt Lancaster]], Waxman appeared as a rich [[cocaine]] buyer with a seemingly endless amount of cash.
===Career===
Waxman's career began at the age of twelve on [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] radio but it wasn't until 1975, when he began playing the role of Larry King on CBC's [[King of Kensington]] (1975-1980), that he became a Canadian icon.


During the 1980s, Waxman starred as the gruff but endearing [[lieutenant|Lt.]] Bert Samuels in the highly successful [[CBS]] television drama ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''.
In the 1980 award winning film ''[[Atlantic City]]'' starring [[Burt Lancaster]], Waxman appeared as a rich cocaine buyer with a seemingly endless amount of cash.


During the 1990s, Waxman appeared in a variety of films and television shows, but began spending more time acting and directing in the theatre. In 1991, Al hosted ''Missing Treasures: The Search for Our Lost Children'', a TV show which profiled missing children in Canada.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0819193 'Missing Treasures (TV Series 1991–1992)']</ref> He was also a founding member of the [[Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television]].
During the 1980s Waxman starred as the gruff but endearing Lt Bert Samuels in the highly successful [[CBS]] television drama ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' (1981-1989).


In 1997, he was awarded the best actor [[Gemini Awards|Gemini Award]] for his performance in the television film ''[[Net Worth (TV film)|Net Worth]]''.
During the 1990s Waxman appeared in a variety of films and television shows but began spending more time acting and directing in the theatre. He was also a founding member of the [[Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television]].


Waxman also appeared at the [[Stratford Shakespeare Festival|Stratford Festival]], beginning with his critically acclaimed performance as [[Willy Loman]] in ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' in 1997. He also directed ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (play)|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' at the Stratford Festival in 2000. He was to return to Stratford for his highly anticipated portrayal of [[Shylock]] in ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' in 2001. In the wake of Waxman's death, one month before rehearsals were to begin, [[Paul Soles]] accepted the part of Shylock and the play was performed in honour of Waxman.<ref>[http://www.cjnews.com/pastIssues/01/aug2-01/front2.asp 'The importance of being Shylock'], Canadian Jewish News, 2 August 2001 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050429050803/http://www.cjnews.com/pastIssues/01/aug2-01/front2.asp |date=April 29, 2005 }}</ref>
In 1997 he was awarded the best actor [[Gemini Award]] for his performance in the television film ''[[Net Worth]]''.


In 1999, he published a memoir ''That's What I Am''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quillandquire.com/review/that-s-what-i-am/ |title=That's What I Am |work=Quill & Quire |last=Davidson |first=Hillary|date=February 5, 2004 }}</ref> which received a [[Canadian Jewish Book Awards|Canadian Jewish Book Award]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kofflerarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CJBA_pastwinners_1989-2013.pdf |title=Past Award Winners |work=Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards |publisher=Koffler Centre of the Arts |access-date=July 18, 2016 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070952/http://kofflerarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CJBA_pastwinners_1989-2013.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Waxman also appeared at the [[Stratford Festival of Canada|Stratford Festival]], beginning with his critically acclaimed performance as Willy Loman in ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' in 1997. He also directed a memorable Anne Frank at the Stratford Festival in 2000. He was to return to Stratford for his highly anticipated portrayal of [[Shylock]] in ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' in 2001. In the wake of Waxman's death one month before rehearsals were to begin [[Paul Soles]] accepted the part of Shylock and the play was performed in honour of Waxman.<ref>[http://www.cjnews.com/pastIssues/01/aug2-01/front2.asp 'The importance of being Shylock'], Canadian Jewish News, 2 August 2001</ref>


==Community activism==
His last television role was as celestial Judge Othneil in ''[[Twice in a Lifetime]]''(1999-2001). The last episode on which he worked right up until the afternoon before his elective heart bypass surgery was about a man, popular in his community, who needed routine bypass surgery but died during the operation. Although some sections of the episode were rewritten, at the end of this final episode Waxman's character is asked rhetorically 'why do the good die young' to which he has no answer. He's then told 'you were quite a warrior'. His response - not merely the end of the episode, but one of Waxman's last lines ever recorded, and spoken with a smile of resignation from the heavens - was: 'I had my day'.
{{Refimprove|date=May 2024}}
Waxman was a spokesperson for organizations such as [[United Way of Canada|United Appeal]], [[United Jewish Appeal]], [[State of Israel Bonds|Israel Bonds]], [[Variety, the Children's Charity|Variety Club]], [[Children's Miracle Network Hospitals|Children's Miracle Network]], and [[Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada|Big Brothers]] (also becoming an honorary member).<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 May 1985 |title=Daytime |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=jnr19850530-01.1.16&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- |access-date=May 31, 2024 |work=[[The Journal-Register]] |pages=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 16, 1989 |title=BB CANADA TO HONOR AL WAXMAN |url=https://newspapers.lib.sfu.ca/cjn2-11855/page-26 |access-date=May 31, 2024 |work=[[Canadian Jewish News]] |pages=26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bialystok |first=Franklin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ziJ6EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT176 |title=Faces in the Crowd: The Jews of Canada |date=2022-06-29 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-1-4426-0444-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bee |first=Jaymz |date=2001-01-25 |title=AL WAXMAN, 1935-2001 - NOW Magazine |url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/al-waxman-1935-2001/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=NOW Toronto |language=en-CA}}</ref> From June 1979 to August 1981, he was the National Campaign Chairman for the [[Canadian Cancer Society]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canadian News Briefs - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/08/31/Canadian-News-Briefs/3285368078400/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} and from 1988 to 1989, he was an official spokesperson for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} Together with his wife, Sara, he created the Sara and Al Waxman Center for Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the [[Shaare Zedek Medical Center]] in [[Jerusalem]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 12, 1984 |title=Shaare Zedek draws praise from Toronto doctor |url=https://newspapers.lib.sfu.ca/cjn2-23757/page-25 |access-date=May 31, 2024 |work=[[Canadian Jewish News]] |pages=25}}</ref>


Al Waxman was accorded many tributes for his volunteer and philanthropic work. In 1978, he was honoured with the [[Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal|Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=January 20, 2001 |title=Al "made us feel terrific about being Canadian" |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/al-made-us-feel-terrific-about-being-canadian-1.257445 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025080851/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/al-made-us-feel-terrific-about-being-canadian-1.257445 |archive-date=October 25, 2014 |access-date=May 31, 2024 |website=[[CBC News]]}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} In 1989, he was the recipient of the [[B'nai B'rith]] of Canada Humanitarian Award.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-07-18 |title=Television actor Al Waxman; left; is congratulated by Moishe Smith;... |url=https://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/news-photo/television-actor-al-waxman-left-is-congratulated-by-moishe-news-photo/502536861 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Getty Images |language=en-gb}}</ref> In 1996, Waxman was inducted into the [[Order of Ontario]] and, in 1997, into the [[Order of Canada]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1998, he was given the [[Earle Grey Award]] for lifetime achievement in Canadian television.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-01-19 |title=Waxman a big artist, class act, friends say |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/waxman-a-big-artist-class-act-friends-say/article1029598/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}</ref>
Throughout his career he responded to the need for his services in community work and was involved with charitable causes from coast to coast. He was spokesperson for organisations such as United Appeal, United Jewish Appeal, Israel Bonds, Variety Club, the Muscular Dystrophy Telethons, and Big Brothers (for which he also became an honorary member). From June 1979 to June 1981 he was the National Campaign Chairman for the [[Canadian Cancer Society]], and from 1988-1989 he was an official spokesperson for the [[Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario]].


==Death and legacy==
Al Waxman was accorded many tributes for his volunteer and philanthropic work. In 1978 he was honoured with the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal. In 1989 he was the recipient of the B'nai Brith of Canada Humanitarian Award. In 1996 Waxman was inducted into the [[Order of Ontario]] and in 1997 into the [[Order of Canada]]. In 1998 he was given the [[Earle Grey Award]] for lifetime achievement in Canadian television. A statue erected for his popularity as a Canadian star actor, director, and humanitarian stands in [[Kensington Market]]. The inscription in front of it reads 'There's lots to do down the road, there's always more. Trust your gut instincts. In small matters trust your mind, but in the important decisions of life - trust your heart.'
Waxman died in Toronto during [[Cardiac surgery|heart surgery]] on January 18, 2001, at the age of 65.<ref>{{cite web|title=Al Waxman, U.S. and Canadian Actor, Dead at 65|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/al-waxman-us-and-canadian-actor-dead-at-65-com-94412|first=Kenneth|last=Jones|date=January 18, 2001|website=[[Playbill]]}}</ref> He was buried at Pardes Shalom Cemetery in [[Maple, Ontario]].


In 2016, Al Waxman was posthumously inducted into [[Canada's Walk of Fame]] as a Cineplex Legends Inductee for his enormous contribution to Canadian arts and culture as an actor, director, producer, and consummate and integral supporter of the Canadian film industry and young aspiring artists emerging within it.
===Death===
He died in Toronto during [[human heart|heart]] [[surgery]] on January 18, 2001, at the age of 65. His unexpected passing sent shock waves through the media and across the country that admired him as much for his charity and his indefatigable spirit as for the enormous body of work that he had achieved over his career. The Toronto neighbourhood that his starring role in [[King of Kensington]] made famous, [[Kensington Market]], erected a memorial to Waxman following his death.


Following his death, a statue of him, created by [[Ruth Abernethy]], was erected in [[Kensington Market]],<ref>Ruth Abernathy. Commissions https://www.ruthabernethy.com/al-waxman.html</ref> the Toronto neighbourhood where ''King of Kensington'' takes place. The inscription in front of the statue reads "There's lots to do down the road, there's always more. Trust your gut instincts. In small matters trust your mind, but in the important decisions of life – trust your heart."
===Fan club===

Musician [[Jaymz Bee]] of the Bee People, (prior to his work with [[The Look People]], The Royal Jelly Orchestra and various projects) was a founder of the Al Waxman Fan Club. The Fan Club began in 1984 following the heyday of the ''King of Kensington'' television show. Bee, his associates [[Clay Tyson]] (son of [[Ian and Sylvia]]), Bazl Salazar, Bruce J. Scott and artist Max MacDonald would host parties and write songs in honour of Waxman. They even created a dance called "The Waxman Wiggle". Some other Bee People songtitles included: "Have Al Instead", "Al or Nothing", "UniversAl" and "Puff, The Waxman Poodle". While the Fan Club initially appeared to be a publicity stunt, this led to a long and successful association between Jaymz Bee and Al Waxman. Waxman attended some of the Fan Club events as organised by Bee, most of which raised money for charities such as The Canadian Cancer Foundation and Big Brother. Bee attended Waxman's funeral, and joined with his Fan Club to hold a [[Wake (ceremony)|wake]] in [[Toronto]] on 25 January 2001. They had a New Orleans-style funeral march with a jazz band and paraded from The Cameron House to Kensington Market where they recorded his hit TV theme song with Vezi Tayeb at Kensington Sound. The AWFC boasted over 1,000 card carrying members and while the bulk of members were from Toronto, some were as far away as Japan and Africa. President Bee received a terse reply from Buckingham Palace however, notifying him that The Queen does not "join a fan club". Al Waxman realized over the years that this organization, while appearing tongue in cheek, was a group of bonafide fans who enjoyed celebrating "the King of Canada". Members of the now dormant AWFC can still be seen wandering through Kensington Market to shake the hand of the Al Waxman statue that resides there.
Musician [[Jaymz Bee]] started the Al Waxman Fan Club while in high school,<ref name="bee">{{cite web |url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/al-waxman-1935-2001 |title=Al Waxman, 1935-2001 |first=Jaymz |last=Bee |date=Jan 25, 2001 |publisher=[[Now Magazine]]}}</ref> and started a punk band with his pals Bazl Salazar, Clay Tyson and Graham Leethat performed only songs about Waxman and his life: "'We ended up with an hour-long show, just about Al Waxman.'"<ref name="havenot">{{cite book|title=Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance, 1985-1995|first1=Michael |last1=Barclay |first2=Jason |last2=Schneider |first3=Ian A.D. |last3=Jack |date=2011 |publisher=[[ECW Press]] |page=218}}</ref> What began as a publicity stunt became a long association between Bee and Waxman. Waxman attended some of the fan club events as organized by Bee, most of which raised money for charities such as the Canadian Cancer Foundation{{cn|date=October 2021}} and Big Brother.<ref name="bee"/> Bee attended Waxman's funeral and, with his fan club, held a [[Wake (ceremony)|wake]] in Toronto on January 25, 2001.<ref name="bee"/>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==

=== Movies ===
===Movies===
*1959: ''[[Sun In My Eyes]]''
{{Div col}}
*1962: ''[[The War Lover]]''
*1963: ''[[The Victors (movie)|The Victors]]''
*1959: ''Sun In My Eyes''
*1968: ''[[Isabel (movie)|Isabel]]''
*1961: ''The Hired Gun''
*1962: ''[[The War Lover]]'' as Prien: Crew of 'The Body'
*1963: ''[[The Victors (1963 film)|The Victors]]'' as 'The Squad' Member
*1964: ''[[Man in the Middle (film)|Man in the Middle]]'' as Cpll. Zimmerman
*1967: ''[[Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate]]''
*1968: ''[[Isabel (film)|Isabel]]'' as Herb
*1970: ''[[The Last Act of Martin Weston]]''
*1970: ''[[The Last Act of Martin Weston]]''
*1971: ''The Crowd Inside'' as Director
*1974: ''[[Vengeance is Mine (1974 film)|Vengeance is Mine]]''
*1975: ''[[The Clown Murders]]''
*1972: ''[[When Michael Calls]]'' as Sheriff Hap Washbrook
*1975: ''[[My Pleasure is my Business]]''
*1973: ''[[The Sloane Affair]]'' as Hogan
*1979: ''[[Wild Horse Hank]]''
*1974: ''[[Child Under a Leaf]]'' as Storekeeper
*1980: ''[[Atlantic City (film)|Atlantic City]]''
*1974: ''[[Sunday in the Country]]'' as Sergeant
*1974: ''A Star Is Lost!'' as Inspector Bruno
*1980: ''[[Double Negative]]''
*1975: ''My Pleasure Is My Business''
*1981: ''[[Heavy Metal (film)|Heavy Metal]]'' (voice only)
*1981: ''[[Tulips (film)|Tulips]]''
*1975: ''[[The Heatwave Lasted Four Days]]'' as Harry
*1982: ''[[Class of '84]]''
*1976: ''[[The Clown Murders]]'' as Police Sergeant
*1983: ''[[Spasms (film)|Spasms]]''
*1979: ''[[Wild Horse Hank]]'' as Jay Connors
*1980: ''[[Atlantic City (1980 film)|Atlantic City]]'' as Alfie
*1987: ''[[Meatballs III]]''
*1980: ''[[Deadly Companion|Double Negative]]'' as Dellassandro
*1988: ''[[Switching Channels]]''
*1989: ''[[Collision Course (film)|Collision Course]]''
*1981: ''[[Heavy Metal (film)|Heavy Metal]]'' as Rudnick (segment "Harry Canyon") (voice)
*1989: ''[[Malarek]]''
*1981: ''[[Tulips (film)|Tulips]]'' as Bert Irving
*1982: ''[[Class of 1984]]'' as Detective Stewiski
*1989: ''[[Millennium (film)|Millennium]]''
*1990: ''[[Mob Story]]''
*1983: '' [[Spasms (film)|Spasms]]'' as Warren Crowley
*1991: ''[[Cerro Torre: Scream of Stone]]''
*1986: ''[[Meatballs III: Summer Job]]'' as Peter
*1991: ''[[The Hitman (film)|The Hitman]]''
*1988: ''[[Switching Channels]]'' as Berger
*1991: ''[[White Light]]''
*1988: ''[[Malarek]]'' as Stern
*1992: ''[[Live Wire (film)|Live Wire]]''
*1989: ''[[Collision Course (1989 film)|Collision Course]]'' as Dingman
*1992: ''[[The Diamond Fleece]]''
*1989: ''[[Millennium (film)|Millennium]]'' as Dr. Brindle
*1993: ''[[Operation Golden Phoenix]]''
*1989: ''[[Mob Story]]'' as Sam
*1995: ''[[Iron Eagle IV]]''
*1991: ''[[Scream of Stone]]'' as Stephen
*1996: ''[[Bogus (film)|Bogus]]''
*1991: ''[[The Hitman]]'' as Marco Luganni
*1997: ''[[The Assignment]]''
*1991: ''White Light''
*1991: ''[[I Still Dream of Jeannie]]'' as Gen. Wescott
*1997: ''[[Critical Care]]''
*1992: ''[[Quiet Killer]]'' as Mayor Andy Carmichael
*1998: ''[[At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story]]''
*1992: ''[[Live Wire (film)|Live Wire]]'' as James Garvey
*1998: ''[[Summer's End]]''
*1999: ''[[The Hurricane (1999 film)|The Hurricane]]''
*1992: ''[[The Diamond Fleece]]''
*1994: ''Operation Golden Phoenix'' as Chief Gordon
*1994: ''Death Junction'' as Captain Jenkow
*1994: ''[[List of Cagney & Lacey episodes|Cagney & Lacey: The Return]]'' as Lt. Bert Samuels
*1995: ''[[Iron Eagle on the Attack]]'' as Maj. Gen. Brad Kettle
*1995: ''[[Net Worth (TV film)|Net Worth]]'' as Jack Adams
*1996: ''[[Gotti (1996 film)|Gotti]]'' as Bruce Cutler
*1996: ''[[Bogus (film)|Bogus]]'' as School Principal
*1996: ''[[Holiday Affair (1996 film)|Holiday Affair]]'' as Mr. Corley
*1997: ''[[The Assignment (1997 film)|The Assignment]]'' as Carl Mickens - CIA
*1997: ''[[Critical Care (film)|Critical Care]]'' as Sheldon Hatchett (a Lawyer)
*1998: ''[[At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story]]'' as John Hofsess
*1999: ''[[A Saintly Switch]]'' as Coach Beasily
*1999: ''[[Summer's End (film)|Summer's End]]'' as Grandpa Trapnell
*1999: ''[[The Hurricane (1999 film)|The Hurricane]]'' as Warden
*2000: ''[[The Thin Blue Lie]]'' as Art Zugler
*2001: ''[[Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows]]'' as Louis B. Mayer (released posthumously)
*2001: ''[[What Makes a Family]]'' as Frank Cataldi (released posthumously)
{{div col end}}


=== Television series ===
===Television series===
*1975-1980: ''[[King of Kensington]]''
*1975–1980: ''[[King of Kensington]]'' as Larry King
*1981: ''[[Circus International]]''
*1981: ''[[Circus International]]''
*1982-1988: ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''
*1981–1988: ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' as Lt. Bert Samuels
*1990-1991: ''[[Missing Treasures]]''
*1990–1991: ''Missing Treasures''
*1997: ''[[Simply Wine and Cheese]]''
*1997: ''Simply Wine and Cheese''
*1999-2001: ''[[Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)|Twice in a Lifetime]]''
*1999–2001: ''[[Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)|Twice in a Lifetime]]'' as Judge Othniel / Judge Jepthah / M.C.


=== Television Appearances ===
===Television appearances===
*1965: ''[[For the People]]''
*1965: ''[[For the People (1965 TV series)|For the People]]'' as Berkowitz
*1969: ''[[Adventures in Rainbow Country]]''
*1969: ''[[Adventures in Rainbow Country]]''
*1979, 1983-1984: ''[[The Littlest Hobo]]''
*1979, 1983–1984: ''[[The Littlest Hobo]]'' as Vic Carrano / Vernie Davis
*1985: ''[[Night Heat]]''
*1979: ''[[The Winnings of Frankie Walls]]'' as Frankie Walls
*1986: ''[[Philip Marlowe, Private Eye]]''
*1985: ''[[Night Heat]]''
*1988: ''[[My Secret Identity]]''
*1986: ''[[Philip Marlowe, Private Eye]]'' as Trimmer Waltz
*1988: ''[[Street Legal]]''
*1988: ''[[My Secret Identity]]''
*1988: ''[[Street Legal (Canadian TV series)|Street Legal]]'' as Judge John R. Caldwell
*1988-1989: ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
*1989: ''[[Hard Time on Planet Earth]]''
*1988: ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' as Dale Linseman
*1989: ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]''
*1989: ''[[Hard Time on Planet Earth]]''
*1993: ''[[Sweating Bullets]]''
*1989: ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'' as Carl Wilson
*1994: ''[[They Eat Horses, Don't They?]]''
*1993: ''[[Tropical Heat|Sweating Bullets]]'' as Brennan
*1996: ''[[Ace Ventura: Pet Detective]]''
*1993: ''[[Scales of Justice (TV series)|Scales of Justice]]''
*1998: ''[[Due South]]''
*1994-1998: ''[[Due South]]'' as Nicholas Van Zandt / Vince Leggett
*1995-2000: ''[[Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (TV series)|Ace Ventura: Pet Detective]]'' as Aguado (voice)
*1998: ''[[Twitch City]]''
*1998-2000: ''[[Power Play]]''
*1998: ''[[Twitch City]]'' as Bum
*1998–2000: ''[[Power Play (1998 TV series)|Power Play]]''


==References==
=== Television specials ===
{{reflist}}
*1961: ''[[The Hired Gun]]''
*1963: ''[[Man in the Middle (film)|Man in the Middle]]''
*1967: ''[[Do Not Fold, Staple, Or Spindle, Or Mutilate]]''
*1967: ''[[Counter Etiquette. Part 1]]''
*1970: ''[[The Last Act of Martin Weston]]''
*1971: ''[[When Michael Calls]]''
*1972: ''[[The Sloane Affair]]''
*1974: ''[[A Star is Lost!]]''
*1979: ''[[Please Don't Eat the Planet (voice only)]]''
*1979: ''[[Intergalactic Thanksgiving (voice only)]]''
*1981: ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' (pilot TV movie)
*1988: ''[[The Return of Ben Casey]]''
*1990: ''[[Maggie's Secret]]''
*1990: ''[[Back to the Beanstalk]]''
*1991: ''[[I Still Dream of Jeannie]]''
*1992: ''[[Quiet Killer]]''
*1992: ''[[The Diamond Fleece]]''
*1992: ''[[Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story]]''
*1992: ''[[The Trial of Red Riding Hood]]''
*1994: ''[[Cagney & Lacey: The Return]]''
*1994: ''[[Web of Deceit]]''
*1994: ''[[I Know My Son Is Alive]]''
*1994: ''[[Death Junction]]''
*1995: ''[[Net Worth]]''
*1995: ''[[The Shamrock Conspiracy]]''
*1996: ''[[Gotti]]''
*1996: ''[[Holiday Affair (1996 film)|Holiday Affair]]''
*1997: ''[[Rescuers: Stories of Courage]]''
*1998: ''[[Naked City: A Killer at Christmas]]''
*1999: ''[[In the Company of Spies (TV-1999)]]''
*1999: ''[[A Saintly Switch]]''
*1999: ''[[Unforgettable: 100 Years Remembered]]''
*2000: ''[[The Ride]]''
*2000: ''[[The Thin Blue Lie]]''
*2000: ''[[Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows]]'' (released posthumously)
*2000: ''[[What Makes a Family]]'' (released posthumously)
*2000: ''[[Messiah From Montreal]]'' (released posthumously)


==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Al Waxman}}
{{commonscat}}
*{{IMDb name|id=0915382|name=Al Waxman}}
*[http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsvz/waxman.html Northern Stars: Al Waxman]
*{{Find a Grave|20122}}
*[http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/enwiki/w/Waxman_Al/ Jam: Al Waxman]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121115070841/http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsvz/waxman_al_bio.html Northern Stars biography]
*[http://www.cjnews.com/pastIssues/01/jan25-01/main.asp Canadian Jewish News obituary] (25 January 2001)
*[https://nowtoronto.com/news/al-waxman-1935-2001/ NOW magazine obituary] by [[Jaymz Bee]]
*[http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=994511704249 Toronto Star obituary] (18 January 2001)
*[https://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/files/waxman-al-collection-pdf.pdf Archival collections (1959-1991)] and [https://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/files/waxman-al-collection-part-2-pdf.pdf (1967-1991)] at [[Toronto Public Library]]
*[http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2001-01-25/scene.html NOW magazine obituary] by [[Jaymz Bee]]

*{{imdb name|id=0915382|name=Al Waxman}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Waxman, Al}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waxman, Al}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Canadian film actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male film actors]]
[[Category:Canadian radio actors]]
[[Category:Jewish Canadian male actors]]
[[Category:Canadian television actors]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Canadian stage actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male radio actors]]
[[Category:Canadian Jews]]
[[Category:Canadian male stage actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male television actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male voice actors]]
[[Category:Canadian television directors]]
[[Category:Kensington Market]]
[[Category:Kensington Market]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Ontario]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Ontario]]
[[Category:People from Toronto]]
[[Category:Male actors from Toronto]]
[[Category:University of Western Ontario alumni]]
[[Category:University of Western Ontario alumni]]
[[Category:Actors from Ontario]]
[[Category:Film directors from Toronto]]
[[Category:Jewish film people]]

[[Category:Best Supporting Actor in a Television Film or Miniseries Canadian Screen Award winners]]
[[de:Al Waxman]]
[[fr:Al Waxman]]

Latest revision as of 12:34, 1 December 2024

Al Waxman
CM OOnt
Statue of Al Waxman in Kensington Market
Born
Albert Samuel Waxman

(1935-03-02)March 2, 1935
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DiedJanuary 18, 2001(2001-01-18) (aged 65)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Resting placePardes Shalom Cemetery, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
Years active1959–2001

Albert Samuel Waxman, CM OOnt (March 2, 1935 – January 18, 2001) was a Canadian actor and director of over 1,000 productions on radio, television, film, and stage. He is best known for his starring roles in the television series King of Kensington (CBC) and Cagney & Lacey (CBS) and Twice in a Lifetime (CTV).

Early life

[edit]

Waxman was born in Toronto, Ontario to Jewish immigrants from Poland. His parents operated and owned Melinda Lunch, a small restaurant. His father, Aaron Waxman, died when Al was nine.[1]

Career

[edit]

Waxman's career began at the age of twelve on CBC Radio, but it was not until 1975, when he began playing the role of Larry King on CBC's King of Kensington, that he became a Canadian icon.

In the 1980 award-winning film Atlantic City starring Burt Lancaster, Waxman appeared as a rich cocaine buyer with a seemingly endless amount of cash.

During the 1980s, Waxman starred as the gruff but endearing Lt. Bert Samuels in the highly successful CBS television drama Cagney & Lacey.

During the 1990s, Waxman appeared in a variety of films and television shows, but began spending more time acting and directing in the theatre. In 1991, Al hosted Missing Treasures: The Search for Our Lost Children, a TV show which profiled missing children in Canada.[2] He was also a founding member of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

In 1997, he was awarded the best actor Gemini Award for his performance in the television film Net Worth.

Waxman also appeared at the Stratford Festival, beginning with his critically acclaimed performance as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman in 1997. He also directed The Diary of Anne Frank at the Stratford Festival in 2000. He was to return to Stratford for his highly anticipated portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in 2001. In the wake of Waxman's death, one month before rehearsals were to begin, Paul Soles accepted the part of Shylock and the play was performed in honour of Waxman.[3]

In 1999, he published a memoir That's What I Am[4] which received a Canadian Jewish Book Award.[5]

Community activism

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Waxman was a spokesperson for organizations such as United Appeal, United Jewish Appeal, Israel Bonds, Variety Club, Children's Miracle Network, and Big Brothers (also becoming an honorary member).[6][7][8][9] From June 1979 to August 1981, he was the National Campaign Chairman for the Canadian Cancer Society,[10][citation needed] and from 1988 to 1989, he was an official spokesperson for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario.[citation needed] Together with his wife, Sara, he created the Sara and Al Waxman Center for Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.[11]

Al Waxman was accorded many tributes for his volunteer and philanthropic work. In 1978, he was honoured with the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal.[12][citation needed] In 1989, he was the recipient of the B'nai B'rith of Canada Humanitarian Award.[13] In 1996, Waxman was inducted into the Order of Ontario and, in 1997, into the Order of Canada.[12] In 1998, he was given the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement in Canadian television.[14]

Death and legacy

[edit]

Waxman died in Toronto during heart surgery on January 18, 2001, at the age of 65.[15] He was buried at Pardes Shalom Cemetery in Maple, Ontario.

In 2016, Al Waxman was posthumously inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame as a Cineplex Legends Inductee for his enormous contribution to Canadian arts and culture as an actor, director, producer, and consummate and integral supporter of the Canadian film industry and young aspiring artists emerging within it.

Following his death, a statue of him, created by Ruth Abernethy, was erected in Kensington Market,[16] the Toronto neighbourhood where King of Kensington takes place. The inscription in front of the statue reads "There's lots to do down the road, there's always more. Trust your gut instincts. In small matters trust your mind, but in the important decisions of life – trust your heart."

Musician Jaymz Bee started the Al Waxman Fan Club while in high school,[17] and started a punk band with his pals Bazl Salazar, Clay Tyson and Graham Leethat performed only songs about Waxman and his life: "'We ended up with an hour-long show, just about Al Waxman.'"[18] What began as a publicity stunt became a long association between Bee and Waxman. Waxman attended some of the fan club events as organized by Bee, most of which raised money for charities such as the Canadian Cancer Foundation[citation needed] and Big Brother.[17] Bee attended Waxman's funeral and, with his fan club, held a wake in Toronto on January 25, 2001.[17]

Filmography

[edit]

Movies

[edit]

Television series

[edit]

Television appearances

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "AL WAXMAN". Northern Stars. 2006. Archived from the original on December 11, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
  2. ^ 'Missing Treasures (TV Series 1991–1992)'
  3. ^ 'The importance of being Shylock', Canadian Jewish News, 2 August 2001 Archived April 29, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Davidson, Hillary (February 5, 2004). "That's What I Am". Quill & Quire.
  5. ^ "Past Award Winners" (PDF). Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards. Koffler Centre of the Arts. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2014. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  6. ^ "Daytime". The Journal-Register. May 30, 1985. p. 6. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  7. ^ "BB CANADA TO HONOR AL WAXMAN". Canadian Jewish News. February 16, 1989. p. 26. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Bialystok, Franklin (June 29, 2022). Faces in the Crowd: The Jews of Canada. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-4426-0444-5.
  9. ^ Bee, Jaymz (January 25, 2001). "AL WAXMAN, 1935-2001 - NOW Magazine". NOW Toronto. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  10. ^ "Canadian News Briefs - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  11. ^ "Shaare Zedek draws praise from Toronto doctor". Canadian Jewish News. April 12, 1984. p. 25. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Al "made us feel terrific about being Canadian"". CBC News. January 20, 2001. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  13. ^ "Television actor Al Waxman; left; is congratulated by Moishe Smith;..." Getty Images. July 18, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  14. ^ "Waxman a big artist, class act, friends say". The Globe and Mail. January 19, 2001. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  15. ^ Jones, Kenneth (January 18, 2001). "Al Waxman, U.S. and Canadian Actor, Dead at 65". Playbill.
  16. ^ Ruth Abernathy. Commissions https://www.ruthabernethy.com/al-waxman.html
  17. ^ a b c Bee, Jaymz (January 25, 2001). "Al Waxman, 1935-2001". Now Magazine.
  18. ^ Barclay, Michael; Schneider, Jason; Jack, Ian A.D. (2011). Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance, 1985-1995. ECW Press. p. 218.
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