Lee Wallace (actor)

Lee Wallace (born Leo Melis; July 15, 1930 – December 20, 2020)[1][2] was an American actor of film, stage, and television.

Lee Wallace
Wallace in Alice (1977)
Born
Leo Melis

(1930-07-15)July 15, 1930
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
DiedDecember 20, 2020(2020-12-20) (aged 90)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1966–2005
Spouse
(m. 1975)
Children1

Early life

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Wallace was born as Leo Melis in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Celia (née Gross) and Eddie Melis.[citation needed]

Career

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His movie roles include more than a dozen productions big and small, including Klute (1971), The Hot Rock (1972), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) as the Mayor of New York City, The Happy Hooker (1975), Diary of the Dead (1976), Thieves (1977), Private Benjamin (1980) as Mr. Waxman, World War III (1982), Daniel (1983), Batman (1989) as Gotham City's Mayor Borg, and Used People (1992). John Simon in his review of Batman called Wallace "a perfect Ed Koch lookalike".[3]

On Broadway, he appeared in A Teaspoon Every Four Hours, Unlikely Heroes, The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild, Molly, Zalmen or The Madness of God, Some of My Best Friends, Grind and The Cemetery Club.

Personal life

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As of 2016, Wallace lived in New York City with his wife Marilyn Chris[4] until his death on December 20, 2020. The couple have one child, Paul Wallace.

Filmography

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YearTitleRoleNotes
1971KluteNate GoldfarbUncredited
1972The Hot RockDr. Strauss
1974The Taking of Pelham One Two ThreeAl – the Mayor of New York City
1975The Happy HookerHenry Knowlton
1976Diary of the DeadLt. Gart
1977ThievesHarry
Lou GrantMr. KelsoEpisode: Nazi
1978The Eddie Capra MysteriesEpisode: And the Sea Shall Give Up Her Dead
1980The AssociatesGerald McMartinEpisode: The Censors
This Year's BlondeSamuel GoldwynTV movie
Private BenjaminMr. Waxman
1982World War IIIDr. Jules FarberMiniseries
1983DanielThe Mayor
1985War and LoveOskar Kohn
1989BatmanMayor Borg
1992Used PeopleUncle Harry

References

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  1. ^ "Lee Wallace". Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  2. ^ "Lee Wallace, Actor in 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' and 'Batman,' Dies at 90". The Hollywood Reporter. December 25, 2020.
  3. ^ Simon, John (2005). John Simon on Film: Criticism 1982–2001. Applause Books. p. 224.
  4. ^ "Fall in love with these Queens power couples". QNS. February 10, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
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