Yank Azman | |
|---|---|
 Yank Azman | |
| Born | Jankiel (Jank) Zajfman (aka Jack Zaifman) October 19, 1947 Bad Wörishofen, Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, voice actor, antique dealer |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouse | Pulver Zajfman (m. 1969) |
| Website | http://www.yankazman.com |
Yank Azman (born October 19, 1947) is a Canadian television and film actor.
Azman was born in a displaced persons camp in Bad Wörishofen, Germany to Cesia (née Waishand), a sales clerk, and Kuba Zajfman, a tailor and furrier, Holocaust survivors from Chmielnik, Poland. [1] They emigrated to Canada in 1948 and settled in Toronto where he attended Harbord Collegiate Institute, William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute and later the Ontario College of Art [2] (now known as OCAD University) and the University of Toronto.
Although his first stage appearance was at age six, [3] his professional acting career began with the CBC Television series Toby [ citation needed ] in 1968. By the 1970s after training at Young People's Theatre and The Second City, he was working in improvisational and children's theatre with Gilda Radner [4] and in 1974 was cast as one of an ensemble (which included Valri Bromfield and Jayne Eastwood) to star on the CTV comedy series Funny Farm . [5] During the 1970s he appeared on stage at: Factory Theatre's Hurray for Johnny Canuck [6] with Maury Chaykin and Jim Henshaw; Theatre Passe Muraille in Bethune; and Theatre New Brunswick as Brighella in Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters [7] among others. Since then he has worked steadily in film and television [8] with such roles as Tom Shaughnessy on My Life as A Dog and frequent guest appearances on such shows as Murdoch Mysteries .
He began a lifelong interest in art and antiques after being inspired by Painters Eleven artist Harold Town while working together on the Canadian Centennial project at William Lyon Mackenzie C.I. [9] In 1979, he started supplying antiques as props [10] for the movies and to retail stores such as Polo Ralph Lauren [11] and then opened a shop at the Harbourfront Antique Market. Toronto Life Magazine called him the "friendliest dealer in town." [12] He has made numerous guest appearances as an antiques expert [13] on such television shows as Room Service with Sarah Richardson on HGTV, [14] Breakfast Television on Citytv and in 2002 he hosted a television pilot called Flea Market Millionaire [15] for the Discovery Channel. Azman has also lectured on antiques at the CITT (Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology) at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) [16] and on Material Culture at the Faculty of Liberal Studies at Ontario College of Art & Design.
Azman has long worked as a voice actor and has voiced several characters in animated series such as Starcom: The U.S. Space Force and The Adventures of Tintin.
Azman is married to Canadian artist [17] [18] & antique dealer Pulver Zajfman [19] and lives in Toronto and Miami Beach. He is a member of Mensa [20] and has a mild form of dyscalculia.
 | This list related to film, television, or video is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2025) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Toby | Unknown | [ citation needed ] | |
| 1974 | Funny Farm | (regular) | 6 episodes. As Jank Zalfman | [5] |
| 1989 | Sing | Mr. Frye | Theatrical film | [21] |
| 1989 | Millennium | Evacuation Worker | Theatrical film | [21] |
| 1990 | My Secret Identity | Unknown | 1 episode | [22] |
| 1991 | Mark Twain & Me | Reporter #3 | Television film | [21] |
| 1992 | Counterstrike | Inspector Campbell | Episode: "Cyborg" (as Jank Azman) | |
| 1994 | Seeds of Deception | Medical Board Member | Television film. AKA The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story | [21] |
| 1994 | My Breast | Dr Norton | Television film | [21] |
| 1995 | Butterbox Babies | Mr. Stone | Theatrical film | [21] |
| 1995 | Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story | Arnold Scopes | Television film | [22] |
| 1995 | The Wharf Rat | Funeral Director | Television film | [21] |
| 1996 | Gotti | Judge Nickerson | Television film | [21] |
| 1996 | Steve Martini's Undue Influence | Jack's Lawyer | Television film | [21] |
| 1996 | We the Jury | Henry Otis | Television film | [21] |
| 1996 | My Life as A Dog | Tom Shaughnessy | 3 episodes | |
| 1998 | More Tears | Larry Golden | [21] | |
| 1998 | Bone Daddy | MacDougall | Theatrical film | [21] |
| 1998 | Giving Up the Ghost | Cousin Albert | Television film | [21] |
| 1998 | The Scandalous Me: Jacqueline Susann Story | Producer No 2 | Television film | [21] |
| 1999 | Cruel Justice | Judge Conrad Simms | Television film | [21] |
| 1999 | Dash and Lilly | Doctor | Television film | [21] |
| 1999 | The Lady in Question | Medical Examiner | Television film | [21] |
| 2000 | Deliberate Intent | Trial Judge | Television film | [21] |
| 2001 | Haven | Papa Stern | Television film | [21] |
| 2001 | Judgment | Colin McMahon | Theatrical film | |
| 2004 | Evel Knievel | Accountant | Television film | [21] |
| 2018 | Murdoch Mysteries | Peddler | 1 episode |