Al Waxman
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Albert Samuel "Al" Waxman, C.M., O.Ont (March 2, 1935 – January 18, 2001) was a Canadian actor born in Toronto.
He is best known for his roles on the television series King of Kensington (CBC) and Cagney & Lacey (CBS).
Waxman was a founding member of the Canadian Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. In 1997 he was awarded a Gemini Award for his performance in the television film Net Worth.
In 1996, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Order of Ontario. In 1998 he was given the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement in Canadian television.
He died in Toronto during heart surgery at the age of 65. The Toronto neighbourhood that his starring role in King of Kensington made famous, Kensington Market, erected a memorial to Waxman following his death.
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[edit] Filmography
[edit] Movies
- 1962: The War Lover
- 1963: The Victors
- 1968: Isabel
- 1970: The Last Act of Martin Weston
- 1974: Vengeance is Mine
- 1975: The Clown Murders
- 1979: Wild Horse Hank
- 1980: Atlantic City
- 1980: Double Negative
- 1981: Heavy Metal (voice only)
- 1981: Tulips
- 1982: Class of '84
- 1983: Spasms
- 1987: Meatballs III
- 1988: Switching Channels
- 1989: Collision Course
- 1989: Malarek
- 1989: Millennium
- 1990: Mob Story
- 1991: Cerro Torre: Scream of Stone
- 1991: The Hitman
- 1992: Live Wire
- 1993: Operation Golden Phoenix
- 1995: Iron Eagle IV
- 1996: Bogus
- 1997: The Assignment
- 1997: Critical Care
- 1998: At The End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story
- 1998: Summer's End
- 1999: The Hurricane
[edit] Television series
- 1975-1980: King of Kensington
- 1982-1988: Cagney & Lacey
- 1998-2000: Power Play
- 1999: Twice in a Lifetime
[edit] Television specials
- 1971: When Michael Calls
- 1979: Please Don't Eat the Planet (voice only)
- 1981: Cagney & Lacey (pilot TV movie)
- 1988: The Return of Ben Casey
- 1991: I Still Dream of Jeannie
- 1992: Quiet Killer
- 1992: Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story
- 1992: The Trial of Red Riding Hood
- 1994: Cagney & Lacey: The Return
- 1994: Web of Deceit
- 1995: Net Worth
- 1995: The Shamrock Conspiracy
- 1996: Gotti
- 1997: Rescuers: Stories of Courage
- 1998: Naked City: A Killer at Christmas
- 1999: In the Company of Spies (TV-1999)
- 1999: A Saintly Switch
- 2000: The Ride
- 2000: The Thin Blue Lie
- 2001: Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (released posthumously)
[edit] Theatre roles
Waxman also appeared at the Stratford Festival, beginning with Death of a Salesman in 1997. Later in 2001, he would have returned to Stratford to portray Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. This was a potentially controversial performance given that Waxman was of the Jewish faith while the Shylock character is often associated with Anti-Semitism. Paul Soles accepted the part of Shylock in the wake of Waxman's death and the play was performed in honour of Waxman (see Canadian Jewish News: "The importance of being Shylock", 2 August 2001).
[edit] Fan club
Musician Jaymz Bee of the Bee People, prior to his work in The Look People and various lounge music projects, was a founder of the Al Waxman Fan Club. The Fan Club began in the 1980s following the heyday of the King of Kensington programme. Bee, his associates and Clay Tyson (son of Ian and Sylvia) would write songs in honour of Waxman. While the Fan Club initially appeared to be a publicity stunt, this led to a long and successful association between Jaymz Bee and Al Waxman. Waxman attended some of the Fan Club events as organised by Jaymz Bee. Bee attended Waxman's funeral, and joined with his Fan Club to hold a wake in Toronto on 25 January 2001.
