George Segal was a famous American actor and musician who first shot to fame in the 1960s and 1970s for his super entertaining comic roles.
When was George Segal Born?
Segal was born on February 13, 1934, in Great Neck, Long Island, New York, to Fannie Blanche and George Segal Sr.
Death: Segal died on March 23, 2021, in Santa Rosa, California, United States.
George Segal established himself as a legendary artist before bidding adieu to this world. His most popular movies include Ship of Fools, King Rat, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, ‘Where’s Poppa?’ and The Hot Rock. Apart from movies, Segal is also remembered for his roles in TV series. His most famous TV series appearances came as Jack Gallo on Just Shoot Me! (1997–2003) and as Albert “Pops” Solomon on The Goldbergs (2013–2021).
Early Life and Study:
George Segal was the youngest child of his parents and spent most of his childhood in New York. All four of the legendary actor’s grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants.
He got attracted to acting at the age of nine. He also used to play banjo as a young child. He also had an interest in playing ukulele developed after he saw the instrument with a friend. He later started playing a four-string banjo as the ukulele couldn’t be played in a concert.
Segal did his graduation from George School in Pennsylvania in 1951. He then attended Haverford College. Segal went to Columbia College of Columbia University for a Bachelor of Arts in performing arts and drama.
He also served in the United States Army for a brief period before moving to act.
Career: George Segal’s first significant film role came for the Young Doctors in 1961. Before that, he had worked as an understudy in a Broadway production of The Iceman Cometh. Many TV shows in the 1960s included Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Armstrong Circle Theatre, and Naked City. Segal’s popularity went to the next level after he appeared in the well-known World War II film The Longest Day in 1962. In 1964, Segal was signed by Columbia Pictures for The New Interns. He also won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for his medical drama role.
1965 was a crucial year for Segal, who played a part in Stanley Kramer’s Ship of Fools nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture. For the next couple of decades, Senegal continued to play different roles in different genres. It received several prestigious awards for its impactful and unforgettable roles.
George Senegal’s Last Appearance: Senegal appeared on screen for the final time for ABC’s “The Goldbergs” before passing away at 87.
George Segal Awards:
The popular actor received many prizes and awards for his memorable appearances in several movies.
- Golden Globe Awards for The New Interns – Most Promising Newcomer – Male.
- Golden Globe Awards for Just Shoot Me! – Best Actor In a Television Series- Musical or Comedy.
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards for A Touch of Class – Best Actor.
Segal was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’
He also earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Television in 2017.
Personal Life
Marriage: George Senegal married three times in life. He first married film editor Marion Segal Freed in 1956, and the two were married for 26 years. He had two daughters with Marion. After their divorce in 1983, Senegal married Linda Rogoff, a one-time manager of The Pointer Sisters 1983. Unfortunately, Lida passed away in 1996. The late actor then married his former George School boarding school classmate Sonia Schultz Greenbaum in 1996.
He died on March 23, 2021, due to complications after a Bypass surgery.
George Segal Popular Quotes
- “That’s my mother’s grave out there, Ruth. I planted them vines on the porch. I’ll live here until I die… sooner or later. However, as long as I live, I’ll fight the whole town for the right to die here.” George Segal- Matt Weaver.
- “I think that successful traders have a personality, that they’re not afraid to have nineteen losing trades out of twenty because the twentieth can be a trade that’s much greater than all the nineteen put together.”
- “Why is it that the ones who always bring up the past are those who never lived in it?” George Segal – Walter Whitney.
