Todd Susman

Last updated
Todd Susman
Born (1947-01-17) January 17, 1947 (age 76)
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.

    Contents

    Early life

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

    Career

    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

    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

    Film

    YearTitleRoleNotes
    2012 The Discoverers Dr. Salter
    2011The A PlateLieutenant Stan Carlson
    2010 You Don't Know Jack Stan LevyTV movie
    2009 The Flying Scissors Frank Johnson
    The SuperagentSolarTV 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
    1997The GuardianMickey CashulinTV 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 BodellTV movie
    The City KillerJerryTV movie
    1981The Other VictimTim McQuireTV movie
    ThornwellKetchumTV movie
    1980Portrait of an EscortTed QuinnTV movie
    1979 California Dreaming Jordy Banks
    1975 Death Scream Jimmy CrescentTV movie
    1973 Little Cigars "Buzz"
    1972 The Loners Alan
    1971 Star Spangled Girl Norman Cornell

    Television

    YearTitleRoleNotes
    2020–2021 For Life Judge Ira Walker2 episodes
    2018–2021 Bull Judge Mathias Cleary3 episodes
    2014 Alpha House Saul Watt4 episodes
    2013–2014 Orange Is the New Black Harold Bloom5 episodes
    2012 Person of Interest Henry BrooksEpisode: "'Til Death"
    2000 Angel Magnus BryceEpisode: "Guise Will Be Guise"
    Futurama P.A. Announcer (voice)Episode: "War Is the H-Word"
    1999 ER Dr. Sam JenkinsEpisode: "Greene with Envy"
    1997 The Burning Zone Henry Newland [12] 2 episodes
    1995–1997 Coach Bill4 episodes
    1995–1996 Grace Under Fire Glen4 episodes
    1995 Step by Step HowardEpisode: "Midnight Caller"
    The Invaders Captain Johnson2 episodes
    1994–1995 Empty Nest Ben Braxton6 episodes
    1994 The Commish

    Gideon 'Giggy' Fisher

    		Episode: "Romeo and Juliet"
    1994 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Eugene LadermanEpisode: "The Ides of Metropolis"
    1992 Scorch Jack Fletcher (voice)6 episodes
    1991 The Golden Girls Detective Spade MarlowEpisode: "The Case of the Libertine Belle"
    Sons and Daughters Roger2 episodes
    1990 City Roger Barnett13 episodes
    1989 Have Faith Arthur Glass7 episodes
    1989 Highway to Heaven Mr. CarlyleEpisode: "Goodbye, Mr. Zelinka"
    1989 ALF JimboEpisode: "Hide Away"
    1987 Punky Brewster Mike DeatonEpisode: "Beer & Buffalos Don't Mix"
    1986 Fresno Sergeant Dobbs4 episodes
    1985–1988 St. Elsewhere Victor Bevine4 episodes
    1985 Fame Jim ParkerEpisode: "Leroy and the Kid"
    St. Elsewhere Dr. Westphall's Insightful Moving ManEpisode: "Slice O'Life"
    1984–1989 Newhart Officer Shifflett20 episodes
    1983–1984 Goodnight, Beantown Augie Kleindab2 episodes
    1982 Star of the Family Leo Feldman10 episodes
    1981 Little House on the Prairie MaxEpisode: "The Legend of Black Jake"
    1979–1980 The Waltons Ted Lapinsky3 episodes
    1978 Eight is Enough ArtieEpisode: "The War Between the Bradfords"
    1976 Spencer's Pilots Stan Lewis11 episodes
    1975 The Bob Crane Show Marvin Susman14 episodes
    1974 M*A*S*H Pvt. Danny BakerEpisode: "Operation Noselift"
    1973–1979 M*A*S*H P.A. System Announcer47 episodes

    Videogames

    YearTitleRole
    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

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    References

    1. ↑ "Distinguished Alumni". Ladue Education Foundation and Alumni Association. Accessed February 8, 2018.
    2. 1 2 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". Boradway World. 2015-06-12.
    4. 1 2 "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 . 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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