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Todd Susman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Todd Susman
Born (1947-01-17) January 17, 1947 (age 77)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1970–present
Spouses
  • Judy Susman (divorced)
Bella Kardonov
​
(m. 1982)​
Children4

Todd Susman (born January 17, 1947) is an American actor.

Early life

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A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Susman graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1965.[1]

Career

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Susman has appeared in over one hundred different television series and commercials and was also featured in the Broadway production of Hairspray, the 1970s films Star Spangled Girl (1971), The Loners (1972), Little Cigars (1973) and California Dreaming (1979). He later appeared in the major studio films Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Coneheads (1993), The Juror (1996), and the remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). Susman was in the 2007 independent film, The Big Bad Swim, and the 2009 comedy, The Flying Scissors.[2] He also voiced the lead character in the 2002 video game Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix.

Susman had supporting roles in the films Only The Strong (1993), Night of the Running Man (1995), Bodily Harm (1995), Just Write (1997), Blast from the Past (1999), High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003), The A Plate (2011) and The Discoverers (2012).

In addition, he appeared in the TV Movies Death Scream (1975), Portrait of an Escort (1980), Thornwell (1981), The Other Victim (1981), City Killer (1984), I Married a Centerfold (1984), The Guardian (1997), The Superagent (2009) and You Don't Know Jack (2010). He portrayed Sergeant Dobbs in the 1986 TV mini-series Fresno.

Susman's better known television roles include, between 1984 and 1989, as Officer Shifflett on 20 episodes of Newhart, and as the unseen P.A. system announcer on 46 episodes of the television series M*A*S*H (a task he shared with actor Sal Viscuso, who provided the voice on 37 episodes), and one guest role in January 1974, as Private Danny Baker. Susman played Harold Bloom in 5 episodes of Orange is the New Black.[3] He portrayed Ben Braxton in 6 episodes of Empty Nest, Victor Bevine in 4 episodes of St. Elsewhere, Glen in 4 episodes of Grace Under Fire, Bill in 4 episodes of Coach, and 4 different characters in 4 episodes of Barney Miller.

In 1976, he was a regular on the six-episode CBS adventure series Spencer's Pilots.[4] He portrayed Ted Lapinsky in The Waltons (the episodes 'The Home Front' (1979) and 'The Unthinkable" (1980)) and appeared as detective Spade Marlow in the 1991 episode of The Golden Girls titled "The Case of the Libertine Belle". Before that, Susman submitted a pilot series for Grant Tinker for MTM Enterprises about an innocent young man arriving in New York City to start his career.[5] Other television shows Susman has appeared on since 1971 include Love, American Style (3 episodes), Room 222 (3 episodes), Kojak, Eight Is Enough, The White Shadow, Little House on the Prairie, Lou Grant, Remington Steele, Alice, Hill Street Blues, The Facts of Life, Cagney & Lacey, Night Court (3 episodes), Who's the Boss?, Punky Brewster (3 episodes), Webster (4 episodes), ALF, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote, Blossom (2 episodes), Married... with Children, The Commish, ER, Suddenly Susan, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Bull.

In 2012, Susman appeared in the original cast of the off-Broadway Westside Theatre show, "Old Jews Telling Jokes", in which Jessica Shaw of Entertainment Weekly called his portrayal "the funniest moment...delivered with a Yiddish accent as thick as schmaltz".[6] Jason Zinoman of The New York Times also complimented his performance, saying "the incongruity between content and form is perfectly tuned, and Mr. Susman benefits from resisting the urge to oversell the joke".[7] David Finkle of TheaterMania.com also said Susman "often scores simply through his feigned stoicism".[8]

In 2013, Susman, along with the Old Jews Telling Jokes cast and The Chew personality Carla Hall, appeared at Carnegie Deli to unveil the "OJTJ sandwich", named for the comedy group.[9]

Personal life

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In a 1971 news article, Susman mentioned he moved to Los Angeles because a friend told him he could make $500 a week as a writer. Unfortunately, the plan did not go well and he ended up making $60 a week as a writer for American International Pictures.[10]

Susman has one child with his first wife Judy, who is a working actress.[2] He married Bella Kordonov on November 6, 1982; they have three children.[11][4]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2022 Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game Sam Gensberg
2012 The Discoverers Dr. Salter
2011 The A Plate Lieutenant Stan Carlson
2010 You Don't Know Jack Stan Levy TV movie
2009 The Flying Scissors Frank Johnson
The Superagent Solar TV movie
The Taking of Pelham 123 Supervisor
2006 The Big Bad Swim Martin Webber
2003 High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story Max Ungar
1999 Blast from the Past Butcher
1997 The Guardian Mickey Cashulin TV movie
Just Write Priest
1996 The Juror Bozeman
1995 Bodily Harm Jerry Roth
Night of the Running Man Meyer Weiss
1993 Coneheads Ron
Only the Strong Mr. Cochran
1987 Beverly Hills Cop II Foreman
1984 I Married a Centerfold Bill Bodell TV movie
The City Killer Jerry TV movie
1981 The Other Victim Tim McQuire TV movie
Thornwell Ketchum TV movie
1980 Portrait of an Escort Ted Quinn TV movie
1979 California Dreaming Jordy Banks
1975 Death Scream Jimmy Crescent TV movie
1973 Little Cigars "Buzz"
1972 The Loners Alan
1971 Star Spangled Girl Norman Cornell

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2020–2021 For Life Judge Ira Walker 2 episodes
2018–2021 Bull Judge Mathias Cleary 3 episodes
2014 Alpha House Saul Watt 4 episodes
2013–2014 Orange Is the New Black Harold Bloom 5 episodes
2012 Person of Interest Henry Brooks Episode: "'Til Death"
2000 Angel Magnus Bryce Episode: "Guise Will Be Guise"
Futurama P.A. Announcer (voice) Episode: "War Is the H-Word"
1999 ER Dr. Sam Jenkins Episode: "Greene with Envy"
1997 The Burning Zone Henry Newland[12] 2 episodes
1995–1997 Coach Bill 4 episodes
1995–1996 Grace Under Fire Glen 4 episodes
1995 Step by Step Howard Episode: "Midnight Caller"
The Invaders Captain Johnson 2 episodes
1994–1995 Empty Nest Ben Braxton 6 episodes
1994 The Commish

Gideon 'Giggy' Fisher

Episode: "Romeo and Juliet"
1994 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Eugene Laderman Episode: "The Ides of Metropolis"
1992 Scorch Jack Fletcher (voice) 6 episodes
1991 The Golden Girls Detective Spade Marlow Episode: "The Case of the Libertine Belle"
Sons and Daughters Roger 2 episodes
1990 City Roger Barnett 13 episodes
1989 Have Faith Arthur Glass 7 episodes
1989 Highway to Heaven Mr. Carlyle Episode: "Goodbye, Mr. Zelinka"
1989 ALF Jimbo Episode: "Hide Away"
1987 Punky Brewster Mike Deaton Episode: "Beer & Buffalos Don't Mix"
1986 Fresno Sergeant Dobbs 4 episodes
1985–1988 St. Elsewhere Victor Bevine 4 episodes
1985 Fame Jim Parker Episode: "Leroy and the Kid"
St. Elsewhere Dr. Westphall's Insightful Moving Man Episode: "Slice O'Life"
1984–1989 Newhart Officer Shifflett 20 episodes
1983–1984 Goodnight, Beantown Augie Kleindab 2 episodes
1982 Star of the Family Leo Feldman 10 episodes
1981 Little House on the Prairie Max Episode: "The Legend of Black Jake"
1979–1980 The Waltons Ted Lapinsky 3 episodes
1978 Eight is Enough Artie Episode: "The War Between the Bradfords"
1976 Spencer's Pilots Stan Lewis 11 episodes
1975 The Bob Crane Show Marvin Susman 14 episodes
1974 M*A*S*H Pvt. Danny Baker Episode: "Operation Noselift"
1973–1979 M*A*S*H P.A. System Announcer 47 episodes
1971, 1973 Room 222 Barney, Archie, Arthur Billings 3 episodes

Videogames

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Year Title Role
2010 Red Dead Redemption The Local Population
2005 Bully Mr. Gordon
2003 Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Mobster / Policeman / Russian
2002 Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix John Mullins
2001 Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel Paladin Ziskele
2000 Soldier of Fortune John Mullins
1997 Dilbert's Desktop Games Pointy-Haired Boss / Fool Voices

References

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  1. ^ "Distinguished Alumni". Ladue Education Foundation and Alumni Association. Accessed February 8, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Garmon, M. D. (1978-04-30). "Grits, Gadsen mighty fine, says TV actor Todd Susman". The Gadsden Times. p. 8. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  3. ^ "'Orange Is The New Blacks Todd Susman to Star in 'When Blood Ran Red' at KulturfestNYC". Broadway World. 2015-06-12.
  4. ^ a b "Buddy syndrome". St. Petersburg Times. 1976-09-16. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  5. ^ "Spencer's Pilots' Take Wing". Boca Raton News. 1976-10-01. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  6. ^ Shaw, Jessica (2012-05-25). "Old Jews Telling Jokes Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-25.
  7. ^ Zinoman, Jason (2012-05-21). "Such a Tradition of Humor, and This Is Only a Revue?". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  8. ^ Finkle, David (2012-05-20). "Old Jews Telling Jokes Review". Theater Mania. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  9. ^ Gordon, David (2013-05-16). "The Chew's Carla Hall Unveils New Old Jews Telling Jokes Carnegie Deli Sandwich". Theater Mania. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  10. ^ Beck, Marilyn (1971-06-10). "Sandy Duncan Not Right for Paramount Lead". Sarasota Journal. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  11. ^ "Success, at last, for actor Susman?". Observer–Reporter. Washington, Pennsylvania. 1990-02-25. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  12. ^ "Cast". TV Guide. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018.
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