Nehemiah Persoff death: Barbra Streisand pays tribute to Yentl star who has died aged 102
‘RIP Nehemiah Persoff. 102 is a good f***ing run,’ wrote another fan
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Barbra Streisand has paid tribute to her Yentl co-star Nehemiah Persoff, who died at the age of 102 on Tuesday (5 April) in San Luis Obispo, California.
His death was confirmed by his daughter, Dahlia Reano.
During his life, Persoff appeared in more than 200 TV series, films, and plays in a career spanning over 50 years.
Some of his most famous titles were Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gunsmoke, Battlestar Galactica, and The Twilight Zone.
Earliler in his career, he also appeared in films such as Al Capone and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man.
In 1983’s Yentl, Persoff played Streisand’s on-screen father, Rebbe Mendel.
She wrote on Twitter: “Nicky lived a long loving life. I’ll miss you Papa!!”
Persoff retired from acting in 1999 and pursued painting, specialising in watercolours.
Many fans have paid tribute to Persoff on social media.
“RIP Nehemiah Persoff. His small role as Little Bonaparte in Some Like It Hot (1959) remains one of the funniest parts of any comedy film,” one person wrote.
Another person added: “Just found out that Nehemiah Persoff died at the outstanding age of 102.
“He may be remembered for movies like Some Like It Hot and The Last Temptation of Christ, but I’ll remember him as Papa Mousekewitz in the American Tail films! There are no cats in Heaven!”
Author John EL Tenney wrote: “RIP Nehemiah Persoff. 102 is a good f***ing run.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments