The Resume

(October 20, 1935-December 28, 2004)
Appeared in 'The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971),' 'The Sentinel (1977),' 'Prince of the City (1981),' 'F/X (1986),' 'Dirty Dancing (1987),' 'Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989),' 'Mr. Saturday Night (1992)' and 'Chinese Coffee (2000)'
Starred on Broadway in 'Promises Promises,' '6 Rms Riv Vu,' 'Guys and Dolls,' 'Chicago,' and '42nd Street'
Portrayed Detective Lennie Briscoe on 'Law and Order' (1992-2004)

Why he might be annoying:

He was typecast as either cops or gangsters.
He always seems pissed off about something.
He came from a show business family.
He read for two other roles on 'Law and Order' before being cast as Lennie Briscoe.
He was close friends with mobster Joey Gallo and was seen partying with him hours before Gallo was shot dead.
His father was Jewish but he was raised strict Roman Catholic.

Why he might not be annoying:

He was Mae West's chauffer.
He sued eBay for displaying his Social Security number on the Internet.
He created the role of El Gallo in the original production of the musical 'The Fantasticks,' which ran for over 17,000 performances.
He supplied the voice of Lumiere, the candelabra, in the Disney version of 'Beauty and the Beast.'
He won a Tony Award for 'Promises, Promises.'
He portrayed Lenny Briscoe on five different TV series ('Homocide Life on the Street' and all four 'Law and Orders').

Credit: Professor Moriarty

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 2008 Least Annoying 101-200 (Ranked: 191)
• Born Half-Jewish
• Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters of All Time [2004] (Ranked: 30)
• Brothers and Sisters, I Have None
• Burt Bacharach Wrote My Song
• Catholics who are Partially Jewish
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [October] (Ranked: 10201935)
• Celebrity New York Met Fans
• Ed Sullivan Show Guests
• Entertainment Weekly's - Will Arnett's 10 TV Events That Made Him Cry [1983-2008] (Ranked: 2)
• Frasier [Call Ins]
• Golden Girls and Guests
• I Appeared on Jerry Lewis' MDA Telethon [N-R]
• I Attended Northwestern
• I Attended University of Illinois [Urbana, Champaign]
• I Died During the Run of My TV Series
• I Died in 2004 (Ranked: 69)
• I Have Prostate Cancer
• I Married in 1979
• I Portrayed a Disney Villain
• I Portrayed Billy Flynn in Broadway's Chicago
• I Probably Banged Mae West
• Law and Order
• Maurice Chevalier Impersonators
• Miss Universe Performers (Ranked: 1981)
• Moviefone's 25 Best Animated Characters [Voice] (Ranked: 22)
• Murder She Wrote Guest Stars
• Musical Theater Star
• Night of 100 Stars [March 8, 1982]
• Professor Moriarty's Profiles [Series 2]
• Profiles 12251-12500 (Ranked: 12343)
• Screen Actors Guild's Best Actor TV Drama (Ranked: 2005)
• Tony Award: Best Actor in a Musical (Ranked: 1969)
• Tony Award: Hosts (Ranked: 1973)
• Voices of Disney
• Waking Sleeping Beauty
• We Died on the Same Day (Ranked: 20041228)
• What's My Line - Mystery Guests [1968-1975]

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 9 Votes: 11.11% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 25 Votes: 32.00% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 93 Votes: 40.86% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 75 Votes: 45.33% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 111 Votes: 43.24% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 99 Votes: 46.46% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 20 Votes: 35.00% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 17 Votes: 5.88% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 25 Votes: 4.00% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 19 Votes: 26.32% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 103 Votes: 43.69% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 70 Votes: 38.57% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 106 Votes: 48.11% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 204 Votes: 46.57% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 123 Votes: 49.59% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 257 Votes: 36.19% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 1091 Votes: 30.80% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 319 Votes: 43.26% Annoying
In 2006, Out of 702 Votes: 39.74% Annoying
In 2005, Out of 2474 Votes: 42.60% Annoying
In 2004, Out of 789 Votes: 41.06% Annoying