Fred Melamed
Encyclopedia
Fred Melamed is a U.S. actor and writer.
He was born in New York City, and received his theatrical training at Hampshire College
and the Yale School of Drama
. At Yale, he was a Samuel F. B. Morse
College Graduate Fellow. He was also a nominee for the Irene Ryan
Award, a prize conferred upon the most promising young actors in the United States. While still at Yale, he was an instructor at the well-known performing arts camp, Stagedoor Manor
. After his training, he appeared on stage with several resident theatre companies, including The Guthrie Theater, The Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, The Yale Repertory Theater, and on Broadway in the Tony Award
-Winning Amadeus
. Following Amadeus, Melamed entered what he called "a period of personal darkness", during which he effectively stopped acting on stage. At the same time, he became established as a voice actor, and continued to do film work.
Melamed's voice became a familiar presence on television, serving as the sound of the Olympics, Mercedes Benz, CBS Sports
, USA Network
, the Superbowl, and numerous commercials and television programs. He became known within the industry as a voice actor, appearing in the Grand Theft Auto
series, and dubbing several actors' entire performances in films. But it was for his portrayal of "sensitive" villain Sy Ableman, in Joel and Ethan Coen's 2009 film, A Serious Man
, which was nominated for Best Picture, at the 2010 Academy Awards
, that he became most widely known. About that character, Film Confessional said, "Sy Ableman is as great a contemporary movie villain as The Joker, Hans Landa
, or Anton Chigurh
...The character Fred Melamed contrives is the year's most brilliant force of destruction."
For his arguably eponymous performance in A Serious Man
, Melamed, along with the Coen Brothers, the film's Ensemble and Casting Directors, won Film Independent's Independent Spirit Robert Altman
Award. New York Magazine listed Melamed's work as among the Best Performances of 2009, and Empire
called Sy Ableman "One of The Best Alternative Coen Characters of All Time". Several leading U.S. critics, including A.O. Scott of The New York Times
, Michael Philips of The Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert
said his performance was worthy of Academy Award nomination.
In addition, Melamed has appeared in a host of Woody Allen
films, including Hannah and Her Sisters
, Radio Days
, Another Woman
, Crimes and Misdemeanors
, Shadows and Fog
, Husbands and Wives
, and Hollywood Ending
. He has also played significant supporting roles in Suspect
, The Good Mother
, The Mission
, The Pickup Artist
and other films.
On television, he plays Larry David
's smug psychiatrist, Dr. Arthur Thurgood, on Curb Your Enthusiasm
, and tough-guy jurist Judge Alan Karpman, on The Good Wife
.
He is soon to star as Elliot Gould's son, auteur/director Bob Wilson, in Fred
, a film about the decline of a stubborn patriarch and his family. Other upcoming films include The Dictator, with Sacha Baron Cohen
and Sir Ben Kingsley, where Melamed appears in the unlikely role of a Director of a Nuclear Weapons Program, and Passing Harold Blumenthal, where Melamed stars as deceased playwright Brian Cox
's agent, best friend, and, possibly, lover.
On Broadway in 2011, Melamed originated the roles of The Father in Ethan Coen's Talking Cure
, and Thomas Moran in Elaine May's George Is Dead, two of the one-act plays that comprised Relatively Speaking
, however he left the production after 5 weeks of rehearsals and two weeks of previews. The New York Times cited both Melamed's desire to take film roles that he had been offered and creative differences with Coen, with whom he had previously enjoyed successful collaboration, as the reasons for his departure.
As a writer, he has produced screenplays including Girl of the Perfume River, A Jones for Gash, The Asshat Project, and most recently, The Preservationist, a fictional film inspired by the case of Melamed's college friend, Edward Forbes Smiley III
, a renowned cartographic expert and dealer, who admitted to having been the most brazen and prolific map thief of all time.
Melamed lives with his wife and twin sons on the East End of Long Island. Both of the Melamed children were born with autism
, and he and his wife have been involved in advocacy for persons living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families.
He was born in New York City, and received his theatrical training at Hampshire College
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
and the Yale School of Drama
Yale School of Drama
The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
. At Yale, he was a Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel Finley Breese Morse was an American contributor to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs, co-inventor of the Morse code, and an accomplished painter.-Birth and education:...
College Graduate Fellow. He was also a nominee for the Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan was an American actress, one of the few entertainers who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television and Broadway....
Award, a prize conferred upon the most promising young actors in the United States. While still at Yale, he was an instructor at the well-known performing arts camp, Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts summer camp located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Over the past 36 years, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theatre....
. After his training, he appeared on stage with several resident theatre companies, including The Guthrie Theater, The Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, The Yale Repertory Theater, and on Broadway in the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-Winning Amadeus
Amadeus
Amadeus is a play by Peter Shaffer.It is based on the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, highly fictionalized.Amadeus was first performed in 1979...
. Following Amadeus, Melamed entered what he called "a period of personal darkness", during which he effectively stopped acting on stage. At the same time, he became established as a voice actor, and continued to do film work.
Melamed's voice became a familiar presence on television, serving as the sound of the Olympics, Mercedes Benz, CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
, the Superbowl, and numerous commercials and television programs. He became known within the industry as a voice actor, appearing in the Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
series, and dubbing several actors' entire performances in films. But it was for his portrayal of "sensitive" villain Sy Ableman, in Joel and Ethan Coen's 2009 film, A Serious Man
A Serious Man
A Serious Man is a 2009 dark comedy written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesota Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, leading to questions about his faith...
, which was nominated for Best Picture, at the 2010 Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, that he became most widely known. About that character, Film Confessional said, "Sy Ableman is as great a contemporary movie villain as The Joker, Hans Landa
Hans Landa
Colonel Hans Landa is the primary antagonist of the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds. He is portrayed by Austrian actor Christoph Waltz.- Character :...
, or Anton Chigurh
Anton Chigurh
Anton Chigurh is the main antagonist of the Cormac McCarthy novel No Country for Old Men and the film of the same name. He is portrayed by Javier Bardem in the film.- Background :...
...The character Fred Melamed contrives is the year's most brilliant force of destruction."
For his arguably eponymous performance in A Serious Man
A Serious Man
A Serious Man is a 2009 dark comedy written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesota Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, leading to questions about his faith...
, Melamed, along with the Coen Brothers, the film's Ensemble and Casting Directors, won Film Independent's Independent Spirit Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
Award. New York Magazine listed Melamed's work as among the Best Performances of 2009, and Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
called Sy Ableman "One of The Best Alternative Coen Characters of All Time". Several leading U.S. critics, including A.O. Scott of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Michael Philips of The Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
said his performance was worthy of Academy Award nomination.
In addition, Melamed has appeared in a host of Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
films, including Hannah and Her Sisters
Hannah and Her Sisters
Hannah and Her Sisters is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begin and end with a family Thanksgiving dinner...
, Radio Days
Radio Days
Radio Days is a 1987 comedy film directed by Woody Allen. The film looks back on an American family's life during the Golden Age of Radio using both music and memories to tell the story.-Plot:...
, Another Woman
Another Woman
Another Woman is a 1988 film written and directed by Woody Allen. It stars Gena Rowlands and Mia Farrow and does not feature Allen in an acting role.-Plot:...
, Crimes and Misdemeanors
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Crimes and Misdemeanors is a 1989 black comedy written, directed by and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Martin Landau, Mia Farrow, Anjelica Huston, Jerry Orbach, Alan Alda, Sam Waterston and Joanna Gleason....
, Shadows and Fog
Shadows and Fog
Shadows and Fog is a black-and-white film directed by Woody Allen and based on his one-act play Death. It stars Allen, Mia Farrow, John Malkovich, John Cusack, Madonna, and Kenneth Mars. It was filmed on a set at Kaufman Astoria Studios, which holds the distinction of being the biggest set ever...
, Husbands and Wives
Husbands and Wives
Husbands and Wives is a 1992 American drama film directed and written by Woody Allen. The films stars Allen, Mia Farrow, Sydney Pollack, Judy Davis, Juliette Lewis, Liam Neeson and Blythe Danner. It was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Writing,...
, and Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending is a 2002 American film written and directed by Woody Allen, who also plays the principal character. It tells the story of a once-famous film director who suffers hysterical blindness due to the intense pressure of directing.-Plot:...
. He has also played significant supporting roles in Suspect
Suspect (film)
Suspect is a 1987 mystery/courtroom film drama starring Cher, Dennis Quaid and Liam Neeson.Other notable cast members include John Mahoney, Joe Mantegna, Fred Melamed, and Philip Bosco...
, The Good Mother
The Good Mother
The Good Mother is a direct-to-video film starring Angie Harmon, Jordan Hinson, Joel Gretsch and Bobby Coleman. Although it shares no characters with The Glass House, it was marketed as a thematic sequel.-Plot:At the start of the movie, they show a search for David, Eve and Raymond's previous...
, The Mission
The Mission
- Film and theater :* The Mission , 1986 film by Roland Joffé* The Mission , a.k.a. Cheung fo, by Johnnie To* The Mission , 1980 German play by former East German playwright Heiner Müller, also known as The Task- Music :* The Mission , the original score album of the 1986 film by Ennio Morricone*...
, The Pickup Artist
The Pick-up Artist (TV series)
The Pickup Artist is an American reality show on VH1 which focuses on a group of eight or nine male contestants who have historically been unsuccessful in love and relationships learning the art of the "pickup" as taught by seduction artist Mystery and his wings...
and other films.
On television, he plays Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
's smug psychiatrist, Dr. Arthur Thurgood, on Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
, and tough-guy jurist Judge Alan Karpman, on The Good Wife
The Good Wife
The Good Wife is an American legal drama that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2009. The series was created by Robert King and Michelle King. It stars Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Archie Panjabi, Matt Czuchry and Josh Charles. Executive producers are the Kings, Ridley and Tony Scott,...
.
He is soon to star as Elliot Gould's son, auteur/director Bob Wilson, in Fred
Fred
Fred may refer to:People:*Fred , pen name of French comics creator Fred Othon Aristidès*Fred Tuttle , American farmer from Vermont who ran for the U.S...
, a film about the decline of a stubborn patriarch and his family. Other upcoming films include The Dictator, with Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
and Sir Ben Kingsley, where Melamed appears in the unlikely role of a Director of a Nuclear Weapons Program, and Passing Harold Blumenthal, where Melamed stars as deceased playwright Brian Cox
Brian Cox
Brian Denis Cox, CBE is a Scottish actor. He is known for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he gained recognition for his portrayal of King Lear. He has also appeared in many Hollywood productions playing parts such as Dr. Guggenheim in Rushmore and William Stryker in X2: X-Men...
's agent, best friend, and, possibly, lover.
On Broadway in 2011, Melamed originated the roles of The Father in Ethan Coen's Talking Cure
Talking cure
The Talking Cure was a term originally offered, along with "chimney sweep", by Dr. Josef Breuer's patient Bertha Pappenheim to describe the talking therapy that relieved her of her hysterical symptoms...
, and Thomas Moran in Elaine May's George Is Dead, two of the one-act plays that comprised Relatively Speaking
Relatively Speaking
Relatively Speaking was a game show that aired in syndication from September 5, 1988 to June 23, 1989. The series was hosted by comedian John Byner, with John Harlan announcing....
, however he left the production after 5 weeks of rehearsals and two weeks of previews. The New York Times cited both Melamed's desire to take film roles that he had been offered and creative differences with Coen, with whom he had previously enjoyed successful collaboration, as the reasons for his departure.
As a writer, he has produced screenplays including Girl of the Perfume River, A Jones for Gash, The Asshat Project, and most recently, The Preservationist, a fictional film inspired by the case of Melamed's college friend, Edward Forbes Smiley III
Edward Forbes Smiley III
Edward Forbes Smiley III is an art thief. Formerly a collector of early and rare maps of the world and North America, Smiley was instrumental in building up two major collections that were subsequently donated to research libraries: the Lawrence H. Slaughter collection now in the New York Public...
, a renowned cartographic expert and dealer, who admitted to having been the most brazen and prolific map thief of all time.
Melamed lives with his wife and twin sons on the East End of Long Island. Both of the Melamed children were born with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, and he and his wife have been involved in advocacy for persons living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families.