Biography

April 10, 1927 · New York City, New York, USA

March 23, 2017 · Woodland Hills, California, USA (cancer)

Leon Farb

Father, with Felicia Farr, of daughter Denise Farr-Gordon.

Born Leon Farb in New York City on April 10, 1927, Lee grew up in Brooklyn, son of photographer Jacob Farb and Rose Draisin Farb. After Lee graduated from Brooklyn's Boys' High School, Lee served in the U.S. Navy, and then studied geophysics at Penn State University. After working briefly as a geologist, Lee returned his interest in performance art, becoming familiar to television viewers as "Detective Lt. Jim Conway" on the ABC Television networks prime time series "ABC's Robert Taylor's Detectives." Lee's flashing smile and equally convincing scowl led to acting roles as both good and bad guys on other iconic television dramatic series of the sixties and seventies: television series - NBC's "Bonanza," CBS' "Mission Impossible," "The Invaders," "M. Squad," "Have Gun Will Travel," "Lassie," "The Rifleman," "Perry Mason," "The Rockford Files." Lee's feature film appearances included "Gunfighters of Abilene," "Lone Texan," "Tarawa Beachhead," and "Thundering Jets." Lee also starred on the Los Angeles stage in "Death of a Salesman;" "A View from the Bridge;" Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar;" and "A Hatful of Rain".

Served in the Navy, studied geophysics at Penn State University and worked briefly as a geologist prior to becoming a television actor in 1957.

Father-in-law of Don Gordon.