Mike Nussbaum obit

Mike Nussbaum Dies: Veteran Actor In ‘Men In Black' And ‘Fatal Attraction' Was 99

 He was not on the list.

Mike Nussbaum, a veteran character actor in film, TV, and theater, died Saturday at home in Chicago at 99 from natural causes.

His daughter, Karen, said he had been in hospice over the past year. He died a week short of his 100th birthday.

Nussbaum was among the oldest working actors in recent years, and was a huge presence in Chicago's theater community. His credits include Gentle Rosenburg from Men in Black and Bob Drimmer in Fatal Attraction.

Film credits included House of Games, Things Change, Desperate Hours, Losing Isaiah, Steal Big Steal Little, Dirty Work, Osso Bucco, Towing, Tom of Your Life" and more.

His TV resume is marked by appearances in Frasier, L.A. Law, The Commish, The X-Files, Early Edition, Cupid, The Chicago Code, The Equalizer, and Spenser: For Hire, among others.

No memorial plans have been announced,

Nussbaum's acting career started in community theatre in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he was active in a developing professional theatrical community in Chicago, meeting a young David Mamet in the process. He appeared in many of Mamet's plays both on and off Broadway, as well as in Chicago. His films include Field of Dreams, House of Games, Things Change, Fatal Attraction and Men In Black.

As a director, his work has included Where Have You Gone, Jimmy Stewart? (2002) by Art Shay.

Nussbaum also appeared in local TV commercials for Chicago's Northwest Federal Savings (with the jingle, "It's Northwest Federal Savings time, sixty-three hours a week"). He also did national commercials for United Airlines and Scope mouthwash.

 

Filmography

The Monitors (1969) as Exercise Chief

T.R. Baskin (1971) as Office Manager

Harry and Tonto (1974) as Old Age Home Clerk

Towing (1978) as Phil

House of Games (1987) as Joey

Fatal Attraction (1987) as Bob Drimmer

Things Change (1988) as Mr. Green

Field of Dreams (1989) as Principal

Desperate Hours (1990) as Mr. Nelson

Gladiator (1992) as Doctor

Gypsy (1993) as Weber, Los Angeles Theatre Manager 

Losing Isaiah (1995) as Dr. Jamison

Steal Big Steal Little (1995) as Sam Barlow, Clifford Downey's Attorney

Men In Black (1997) as Gentle Rosenberg

Early Edition (1997) - Yuri Rosanov

The Game of Their Lives (2005) as Johnny Abruzzo

Dirty Work (2006) as Gaga

Osso Bucco (2008) as Uncle Sil

Tom of Your Life (2020) as Father McMurphy