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Line 1: {{Short description\|Canadian actor and director (1935–2001)}} {{Use Canadian English\|date=May 2023}} {{Use mdy dates\|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox person \| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals\|country=CAN\|CM\|OOnt}} \| name = Al Waxman \| image = Al Waxman bronze in Kensington.jpg \| caption = A ~~statue~~= Statue of Al Waxman in [[Kensington Market]] \| birth_name = Albert Samuel Waxman \| birth_date = {{~~birth~~Birth date\|1935\|303\|202\|mf=y}} \| birth_place = [[~~Toronto\|~~Toronto, Ontario]], Canada \| death_date = {{~~death~~Death date and age\|2001\|101\|18\|1935\|303\|202\|mf=y}} \| death_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada \| resting_place = [[Pardes Shalom Cemetery]], [[Vaughan, Ontario]], Canada \| occupation = {{hlist\|Actor ~~· Director~~ \|director}} \| years_active = 1959–2001 }} '''Albert Samuel Waxman''', {{Post-nominals\|country=CAN\|CM\|OOnt}} (March 2, 1935 – January 18, 2001) was a ~~[[Canadians\|~~Canadian]] [[actor]] and ~~[[film~~ director~~\|director]]~~ of over ~~1000~~1,000 productions on radio, television, film, and stage. He is best known for his starring roles in the television series ''[[King of Kensington]]'' ([[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation\|CBC]]) and ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' ([[CBS]]) and ''[[Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)\|Twice in a Lifetime]]'' ([[CTV Television Network\|CTV]]) . ==~~Biography~~Early life== ~~===Early life===~~ Waxman was born in [[Toronto\|Toronto, Ontario]] to [[Jews\|Jewish]] immigrants from [[Poland]]. His parents operated and owned Melinda Lunch, a small restaurant. His father, Aaron Waxman, died when Al was nine.<ref name="Waxman1">{{cite web \|title=AL WAXMAN \|publisher=Northern Stars \|year=2006 \|url=http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsvz/waxmanbio.html \|access-date=2007-01-12 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211024221/http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsvz/waxmanbio.html \|archive-date=2006-12-11 \|url-status=dead }}</ref> ===Career=== Waxman's career began at the age of twelve on [[CBC Radio]], but it was not until 1975, when he began playing the role of Larry King on CBC's ''[[King of Kensington]]'', that he became a [[Canadians\|Canadian]] icon. Line 25 ⟶ 28: During the 1980s, Waxman starred as the gruff but endearing [[lieutenant\|Lt.]] Bert Samuels in the highly successful [[CBS]] television drama ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''. During the 1990s, Waxman appeared in a variety of films and television shows, but began spending more time acting and directing in the theatre. In 1991, Al hosted ''Missing Treasures: The Search for Our Lost Children'', a TV show which profiled missing children in Canada.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0819193 'Missing Treasures (TV Series 1991–1992)']</ref> He was also a founding member of the [[Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television]]. In 1997, he was awarded the best actor [[Gemini Awards\|Gemini Award]] for his performance in the television film ''[[Net Worth (TV film)\|Net Worth]]''. Line 31 ⟶ 34: Waxman also appeared at the [[Stratford Shakespeare Festival\|Stratford Festival]], beginning with his critically acclaimed performance as [[Willy Loman]] in ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' in 1997. He also directed ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (play)\|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' at the Stratford Festival in 2000. He was to return to Stratford for his highly anticipated portrayal of [[Shylock]] in ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' in 2001. In the wake of Waxman's death, one month before rehearsals were to begin, [[Paul Soles]] accepted the part of Shylock and the play was performed in honour of Waxman.<ref>[http://www.cjnews.com/pastIssues/01/aug2-01/front2.asp 'The importance of being Shylock'], Canadian Jewish News, 2 August 2001 {{webarchive \|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050429050803/http://www.cjnews.com/pastIssues/01/aug2-01/front2.asp \|date=April 29, 2005 }}</ref> In 1999, he published a memoir ''That's What I Am''<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.quillandquire.com/review/that-s-what-i-am/ \|title=That's What I Am \|work=Quill & Quire \|last=Davidson \|first=Hillary\|date=February 5, 2004 }}</ref> which received a [[Canadian Jewish Book Awards\|Canadian Jewish Book Award]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://kofflerarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CJBA_pastwinners_1989-2013.pdf \|title=Past Award Winners \|work=Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards \|publisher=Koffler Centre of the Arts \|access-date=July 18, 2016 \|archive-date=October 6, 2014 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070952/http://kofflerarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CJBA_pastwinners_1989-2013.pdf \|url-status=dead }}</ref>▼ His last television role was as celestial Judge Othneil in ''[[Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)\|Twice in a Lifetime]]''. The last episode, on which he worked until the afternoon before his elective heart bypass surgery, was about a man, popular in his community, who needed routine bypass surgery, but died during the operation. Although some sections of the episode were rewritten, at the end of this final episode, Waxman's character is asked rhetorically "why do the good die young" to which he has no answer. He's then told "you were quite a warrior". His response – not merely the end of the episode, but one of Waxman's last lines ever recorded, and spoken with a smile – was: "I had my day". ===Community activism===▼ ▲In 1999, he published a memoir ''That's What I Am''<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.quillandquire.com/review/that-s-what-i-am/ \|title=That's What I Am \|work=Quill & Quire \|last=Davidson \|first=Hillary}}</ref> which received a [[Canadian Jewish Book Awards\|Canadian Jewish Book Award]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://kofflerarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CJBA_pastwinners_1989-2013.pdf \|title=Past Award Winners \|work=Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards \|publisher=Koffler Centre of the Arts}}</ref> {{Refimprove\|date=May 2024}} Waxman was a spokesperson for organizations such as [[United Way of Canada\|United Appeal]], [[United Jewish Appeal]], [[State of Israel Bonds\|Israel Bonds]], [[Variety, the Children's Charity\|Variety Club]], [[Children's Miracle Network Hospitals\|Children's Miracle Network]], and [[Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada\|Big Brothers]] (also becoming an honorary member).<ref>{{Cite news \|date=30 May 1985 \|title=Daytime \|url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=jnr19850530-01.1.16&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- \|access-date=May 31, 2024 \|work=[[The Journal-Register]] \|pages=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news \|date=February 16, 1989 \|title=BB CANADA TO HONOR AL WAXMAN \|url=https://newspapers.lib.sfu.ca/cjn2-11855/page-26 \|access-date=May 31, 2024 \|work=[[Canadian Jewish News]] \|pages=26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Bialystok \|first=Franklin \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ziJ6EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT176 \|title=Faces in the Crowd: The Jews of Canada \|date=2022-06-29 \|publisher=University of Toronto Press \|isbn=978-1-4426-0444-5 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Bee \|first=Jaymz \|date=2001-01-25 \|title=AL WAXMAN, 1935-2001 - NOW Magazine \|url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/al-waxman-1935-2001/ \|access-date=2024-05-31 \|website=NOW Toronto \|language=en-CA}}</ref> From June 1979 to August 1981, he was the National Campaign Chairman for the [[Canadian Cancer Society]],<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Canadian News Briefs - UPI Archives \|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/08/31/Canadian-News-Briefs/3285368078400/ \|access-date=2024-05-31 \|website=UPI \|language=en}}</ref>{{Citation needed\|date=May 2024}} and from 1988 to 1989, he was an official spokesperson for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario.{{Citation needed\|date=May 2024}} Together with his wife, Sara, he created the Sara and Al Waxman Center for Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the [[Shaare Zedek Medical Center]] in [[Jerusalem]].<ref>{{Cite news \|date=April 12, 1984 \|title=Shaare Zedek draws praise from Toronto doctor \|url=https://newspapers.lib.sfu.ca/cjn2-23757/page-25 \|access-date=May 31, 2024 \|work=[[Canadian Jewish News]] \|pages=25}}</ref> Al Waxman was accorded many tributes for his volunteer and philanthropic work. In 1978, he was honoured with the [[Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal\|Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|date=January 20, 2001 \|title=Al "made us feel terrific about being Canadian" \|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/al-made-us-feel-terrific-about-being-canadian-1.257445 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025080851/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/al-made-us-feel-terrific-about-being-canadian-1.257445 \|archive-date=October 25, 2014 \|access-date=May 31, 2024 \|website=[[CBC News]]}}</ref>{{Citation needed\|date=May 2024}} In 1989, he was the recipient of the [[B'nai B'rith]] of Canada Humanitarian Award.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2014-07-18 \|title=Television actor Al Waxman; left; is congratulated by Moishe Smith;... \|url=https://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/news-photo/television-actor-al-waxman-left-is-congratulated-by-moishe-news-photo/502536861 \|access-date=2024-05-31 \|website=Getty Images \|language=en-gb}}</ref> In 1996, Waxman was inducted into the [[Order of Ontario]] and, in 1997, into the [[Order of Canada]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1998, he was given the [[Earle Grey Award]] for lifetime achievement in Canadian television.<ref>{{Cite news \|date=2001-01-19 \|title=Waxman a big artist, class act, friends say \|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/waxman-a-big-artist-class-act-friends-say/article1029598/ \|access-date=2024-05-31 \|work=The Globe and Mail \|language=en-CA}}</ref> ▲===Community activism=== Waxman was involved in community work and charitable causes from coast to coast. He was a spokesperson for organizations such as [[United Way of Canada\|United Appeal]], [[United Jewish Appeal]], [[State of Israel Bonds\|Israel Bonds]], [[Variety, the Children's Charity\|Variety Club]], the [[Jerry Lewis Telethon\|Muscular Dystrophy Telethon]]s, and [[Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada\|Big Brothers]] (also becoming an honorary member). From June 1979 to June 1981, he was the National Campaign Chairman for the [[Canadian Cancer Society]], and from 1988 to 1989, he was an official spokesperson for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Together with his wife, [[Dine (magazine)\|Sara Waxman]], he also created the Sara and Al Waxman Neo-Natal Unit at the Shaare Zedek Medical Centre in Jerusalem. ===Death= and legacy==▼ Al Waxman was accorded many tributes for his volunteer and philanthropic work. In 1978, he was honoured with the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal. In 1989, he was the recipient of the [[B'nai B'rith]] of Canada Humanitarian Award. In 1996, Waxman was inducted into the [[Order of Ontario]] and, in 1997, into the [[Order of Canada]]. In 1998, he was given the [[Earle Grey Award]] for lifetime achievement in Canadian television. Waxman died in Toronto during [[Cardiac surgery\|heart surgery]] on January 18, 2001, at the age of 65.<ref>{{cite web\|title=Al Waxman, U.S. and Canadian Actor, Dead at 65\|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/al-waxman-us-and-canadian-actor-dead-at-65-com-94412\|first=Kenneth\|last=Jones\|date=January 18, 2001\|website=[[Playbill]]}}</ref> He was buried at Pardes Shalom Cemetery in [[Maple, Ontario]]. ▲===Death=== ~~Waxman died in Toronto during [[Cardiac surgery\|heart surgery]] on January 18, 2001, at the age of 65.~~ ~~===Memorials===~~ In 2016, Al Waxman was posthumously inducted into [[Canada's Walk of Fame]] as a Cineplex Legends Inductee for his enormous contribution to Canadian arts and culture as an actor, director, producer, and consummate and integral supporter of the Canadian film industry and young aspiring artists emerging within it. Following his death, a statue of him, created by [[Ruth Abernethy]], was erected in [[Kensington Market]],<ref>Ruth Abernathy. Commissions https://www.ruthabernethy.com/al-waxman.html</ref> the Toronto neighbourhood where ''King of Kensington'' takes place. The inscription in front of the statue reads "There's lots to do down the road, there's always more. Trust your gut instincts. In small matters trust your mind, but in the important decisions of life – trust your heart."▼ ~~====Statue====~~ ▲Following his death, a statue of him, created by Ruth Abernethy, was erected in [[Kensington Market]], the Toronto neighbourhood where ''King of Kensington'' takes place. The inscription in front of the statue reads "There's lots to do down the road, there's always more. Trust your gut instincts. In small matters trust your mind, but in the important decisions of life – trust your heart." ~~==Fan club==~~ Musician [[Jaymz Bee]] of the Bee People (prior to his work with [[Look People]], the [[Jaymz Bee and the Royal Jelly Orchestra\|Royal Jelly Orchestra]], and various projects) was a founder of the Al Waxman Fan Club. The fan club began in 1984 following the heyday of the ''King of Kensington'' television show. Bee, his associates Clay Tyson (son of [[Ian & Sylvia]]), Bazl Salazar, Bruce J. Scott, and artist Max MacDonald, would host parties and write songs in honour of Waxman. They created a dance called "The Waxman Wiggle". Some Bee People song titles include: "Have Al Instead", "Al or Nothing", "UniversAl" and "Puff, The Waxman Poodle". 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 Bee, most of which raised money for charities such as the Canadian Cancer Foundation and Big Brother. Musician [[Jaymz Bee]] started the Al Waxman Fan Club while in high school,<ref name="bee">{{cite web \|url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/al-waxman-1935-2001 \|title=Al Waxman, 1935-2001 \|first=Jaymz \|last=Bee \|date=Jan 25, 2001 \|publisher=[[Now Magazine]]}}</ref> and started a punk band with his pals Bazl Salazar, Clay Tyson and Graham Leethat performed only songs about Waxman and his life: "'We ended up with an hour-long show, just about Al Waxman.'"<ref name="havenot">{{cite book\|title=Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance, 1985-1995\|first1=Michael \|last1=Barclay \|first2=Jason \|last2=Schneider \|first3=Ian A.D. \|last3=Jack \|date=2011 \|publisher=[[ECW Press]] \|page=218}}</ref> What began as a publicity stunt became a long association between Bee and Waxman. Waxman attended some of the fan club events as organized by Bee, most of which raised money for charities such as the Canadian Cancer Foundation{{cn\|date=October 2021}} and Big Brother.<ref name="bee"/> Bee attended Waxman's funeral and, with his fan club, held a [[Wake (ceremony)\|wake]] in Toronto on January 25, 2001.<ref name="bee"/> Bee attended Waxman's funeral and, with his fan club, held a [[Wake (ceremony)\|wake]] in Toronto on January 25, 2001. They had a New Orleans-style funeral march with a jazz band and paraded from [[The Cameron House]] to Kensington Market where they recorded his hit TV theme song with Vezi Tayyeb at Kensington Sound. The AWFC had over 1,000 members and, while the bulk of members were from Toronto, some were as far away as Japan and Africa. President Bee received a terse reply from [[Buckingham Palace]] notifying him that the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom\|Queen]] does not "join a fan club". Al Waxman realized over the years that this organization, while appearing tongue-in-cheek, was a group of bona fide fans who enjoyed celebrating "the King of Canada". Members of the now dormant AWFC can still be seen wandering through Kensington Market to shake the hand of the Al Waxman statue that resides there.{{citation needed\|date=January 2015}} ==Filmography== Line 65 ⟶ 62: 1967: ''[[Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate]]'' 1968: ''[[Isabel (film)\|Isabel]]'' as Herb 1970: ''[[The Last Act of Martin Weston]]'' 1971: ''The Crowd Inside'' as Director 1972: ''[[When Michael Calls]]'' as Sheriff Hap Washbrook 1973: ''[[The Sloane Affair]]'' as Hogan 1974: ''[[Child Under a Leaf]]'' as Storekeeper 1974: ''[[Sunday in the Country]]'' as Sergeant 1974: ''The Heatwave Lasted Four Days'' as Harry▼ 1974: ''A Star Is Lost!'' as Inspector Bruno 1975: ''My Pleasure isIs myMy Business'' ▲~~1974~~1975: ''[[The Heatwave Lasted Four Days]]'' as Harry 1976: ''[[The Clown Murders]]'' as Police Sergeant 1979: ''[[Wild Horse Hank]]'' as Jay Connors Line 81 ⟶ 78: 1981: ''[[Tulips (film)\|Tulips]]'' as Bert Irving 1982: ''[[Class of 1984]]'' as Detective Stewiski 1983: '' [[Spasms (film)\|Spasms]]'' as Warren Crowley 1986: ''[[Meatballs III: Summer Job]]'' as Peter 1988: ''[[Switching Channels]]'' as Berger Line 135 ⟶ 132: 1989: ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'' as Carl Wilson 1993: ''[[Tropical Heat\|Sweating Bullets]]'' as Brennan 1993: ''[[Scales of Justice (TV series)\|Scales of Justice]]'' 1994-1998: ''[[Due South]]'' as Nicholas Van Zandt / Vince Leggett 1995-~~????~~2000: ''[[Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (TV series)\|Ace Ventura: Pet Detective]]'' as Aguado (voice) 1998: ''[[Twitch City]]'' as Bum 1998–2000: ''[[Power Play (1998 TV series)\|Power Play]]'' Line 146 ⟶ 144: {{Commons category\|Al Waxman}} {{IMDb name\|id=0915382\|name=Al Waxman}} {{~~Findagrave~~Find a Grave\|20122}}▼ [http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/W/Waxman_Al/ Al Waxman] at [[Jam!]] ▲{{Findagrave\|20122}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20121115070841/http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsvz/waxman_al_bio.html Northern Stars biography] [https://nowtoronto.com/news/al-waxman-1935-2001/ NOW magazine obituary] by [[Jaymz Bee]] Line 172 ⟶ 169: [[Category:Film directors from Toronto]] [[Category:Jewish film people]] [[Category:Best Supporting Actor in a Television Film or Miniseries Canadian Screen Award winners]]