Milton Selzer, a Jewish-American character actor, was renowned for his distinctive facial features and extensive career spanning over five decades. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1918, Selzer moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire with his family at a young age. He graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1936 and went on to study at the University of New Hampshire before serving in World War II.
Following his military service, Selzer trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and The New School in the 1940s. He made his Broadway debut in the late 1940s with minor roles in classical plays such as "Richard III", "Julius Caesar", and "Arms and the Man". Selzer's breakthrough came in the late 1950s, when he began to appear in film and television, often playing solid ethnic roles.
In the 1960s, Selzer relocated to Los Angeles and continued to work extensively in television, making guest appearances in numerous popular crime dramas, including "The Untouchables", "The Fugitive", "Hawaii Five-O", and "Mission: Impossible". He also appeared in occasional films, such as "The Last Mile", "The Young Savages", "Marnie", "The Cincinnati Kid", "The Legend of Lylah Clare", "In Enemy Country", and "Lady Sings the Blues".
Throughout his career, Selzer was known for his versatility, playing a wide range of characters, from unsympathetic mobsters and gamblers to more upstanding citizens, such as store-owners, judges, and colonels. He also appeared in several regular series roles, including "Needles and Pins" and "The Famous Teddy Z".
Selzer officially retired in the late 1990s, just shy of his 80th birthday, and passed away in Oxnard, California at the age of 87 due to pulmonary and stroke complications. Despite his passing, Milton Selzer's legacy as a talented and prolific character actor continues to be celebrated.
