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Sully Boyar

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Sully Boyar
Born
Irving Boyar

December 14, 1923 (1923-12-14)
DiedMarch 23, 2001 (2001-03-24) (aged 77)
OccupationActor
OrganizationActors Studio

Irving "Sully" Boyar (December 14, 1923 – March 23, 2001) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television[1] of Russian-Jewish descent.

Early life and education

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Boyar was raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, one of seven children,[1] some of whom grew up to become lawyers and businessmen. He worked as a lawyer before turning to acting classes.[1] He had a twin brother named Samuel.

Career

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Boyer began his career as a theater actor, with small parts offered by off-Broadway and experimental productions, including those at Judson Poets Theater.[1]

A life member of the Actors Studio,[1][2] he worked with Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon (1975) as the bank manager Mulvaney.[3]

His many other film credits included The Panic in Needle Park (1971), The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), The Gambler (1974), Car Wash (1976), Oliver's Story (1978), Night of the Juggler (1980), The Jazz Singer (1980), Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981), The Entity (1982), Too Scared to Scream (1985), Prizzi's Honor (1985), Best Seller (1987), The Lemon Sisters (1989), Betsy's Wedding (1990), In the Soup (1992), and Just the Ticket (1999).

On television, he appeared as Tom Feeney in the television movie, The Deadliest Season (1977). He portrayed Judge Maurice Sanderling in the 1980s CBS series, The Equalizer. He appeared four times in the first four seasons of Law & Order, three of which portraying Judge Harvey Sirkin in a cameo role. He also guest starred on The Sopranos in 2001, playing Dr. Krakower, a psychiatrist consulting with Carmela Soprano.

Death

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On March 23, 2001, Boyar died of a heart attack at age 77 while waiting for a bus in Whitestone, Queens.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Sully Boyar film credits
Year Title Role Notes
1965 Man Outside Policeman
1969 Me and My Brother
1971 The Panic in Needle Park Doctor
1971 Made for Each Other Psychiatrist
1971 The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight Bald Bartender Uncredited
1972 Last of the Red Hot Lovers Man #1 Coffee Shop
1972 The King of Marvin Gardens Lebowitz
1972 Up the Sandbox Fat Man Uncredited
1974 The Gambler Uncle Hy
1975 Dog Day Afternoon Mulvaney, Bank's manager
1976 Car Wash Leon 'Mr. B' Barrow
1978 Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws
1978 Oliver's Story Mr. Gentilano
1980 Night of the Juggler Larry the Dog Catcher
1980 The Kidnapping of the President FBI Chief
1980 The Jazz Singer Eddie Gibbs
1981 Fort Apache, The Bronx Dugan
1982 The Entity Mr. Reisz
1983 The American Snitch Pommeranz
1985 Too Scared to Scream Sydney Blume
1985 Prizzi's Honor Casco Vascone
1986 The Manhattan Project Night Guard
1987 Best Seller Monks
1989 Mortal Sins
1989 The Lemon Sisters Baxter O'Neil
1990 Betsy's Wedding Morris (Lola's Dad)
1992 In the Soup Old Man
1994 Somebody to Love Porno Theatre Owner
1994 Hits! Mr. Dougherty
1999 Just the Ticket Uncle Tony
2004 Delivery Method (final film role)

Television

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Sully Boyar television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Kojak Louie Rindone 2 episodes
1977 The Deadliest Season Tom Feeney TV movie
1979 The Rockford Files Bernard L. Petrankus 1 episode
1980 Charlie's Angels Stiles 1 episode
1986 The Equalizer Judge Maurice Sanderling Episode: "Counterfire"
1989 The Equalizer Judge Maurice Sanderling Episode: "Trial by Ordeal"
1990 Law & Order Swersky Episode: "Everybody's Favorite Bagman"
1991 Law & Order Judge Harvey Sirkin Episode: "Life Choice"
1992 Law & Order Arraignment Judge Harvey Sirkin Episode: "The Corporate Veil"
1993 Law & Order Arraignment Judge Harvey Sirkin Episode: "Volunteers"
2001 The Sopranos Dr. Krakower 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Sully Boyar, 77, Prolific Character Actor". The New York Times. 2001-04-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  2. ^ David Garfield (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of the Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of the Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 277. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
  3. ^ "Al Pacino: "Francis Ford Coppola was the only one who wanted me in 'The Godfather,' nobody else wanted me"". FilmTalk.org. 6 Apr 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
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