Harry Goz

Beloved to theater buffs for his long-running performance as Teyve in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof (which included more than 1,000 performances), actor Harry Goz endeared himself to a new generation of fans with his portrayal of lovably insane Captain Hazel "Hank" Murphy in the Cartoon Network's near-surreal animated series Sealab 2021. A native of St. Louis, MO, who got his start in show business by singing in nightclubs at the age of 16, Goz attended Washington University and the St. Louis Institute of Music before being inducted into the army, where he continuing to perform with the Special Services. Though his military experiences may have forced him to momentarily put his show business ambitions on hold, upon his discharge, Goz immediately picked up where he had previously left off, gradually steering from opera to theater and eventually becoming a fixture at the St. Louis Municipal Opera. It wasn't long after his New York debut in a production of Utopia Limited that Goz joined the National Chorus of America, and it was there that he met his future wife,Margaret Avsharian. In 1963, Goz began working as an understudy to Herschel Bernardi in the Broadway production of Bajour, and when Bernardi fell ill with chicken pox later that year, Goz made his Broadway debut. Once again backing up Bernardi in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, his hard work eventually paid off when Goz eventually won the role of Teyve himself, with his colorful performance virtually defining the actor's early career. Goz crafted an impressive film career after making his debut in the 1976 thriller Marathon Man, and though he continued to develop his onscreen talents in such movies as Mommie Dearest, Bill (both 1981), and Rappin' (1985), there was never any mistaking his allegiance to the stage. Television roles included work in the popular series Wiseguy as well as the short-lived Debra Messing sitcom Ned and Stacey. In 1988, Goz returned to Broadway as a KGB "coach" in Chess. Throughout the '90s he was recognized primarily for his voice work in such animated efforts as Die Schelm von Schelm (Aaron's Magic Village, 1995) and Buster and Chauncey's Silent Night before settling nicely into the voice of Sealab 2021's Captain Murphy. Harry Goz died September 6, 2003, following an extended struggle with cancer. He was 71. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide