Ned Glass, a veteran Polish-born character actor, grew up in New York, after which he began his career in vaudeville. He transitioned to acting on Broadway in the early 1930s, initially in small parts, before gaining further experience as a theatrical production supervisor.
In 1937, Glass entered the world of motion pictures as an MGM contract player, primarily taking on tiny supporting roles as clerks, reporters, bank tellers, and small-time managers until the mid-1950s. However, his career was briefly put on hold due to being blacklisted during the McCarthy era.
Fortunately, with the help of friends like John Houseman and Moe Howard, Glass was able to secure enough film work to make ends meet. By 1953, he found a new lease of life in television, where his roles became more varied and substantial.
This allowed him to fully develop his screen persona, that of the balding, weedy, perpetually nervy conman or weaselly stooge, often delivering barbed repartee or wisecracks in a heavy Brooklyn accent. Glass was at his best in comedy, and his performances in several episodes of Jackie Gleason's The Honeymooners (1955) stand out.
He also excelled in New York-themed projects, such as Kojak (1973) and Barney Miller (1975),and had many other notable guest-starring roles on television, including several episodes of The Untouchables (1959) and Get Smart (1965).
Glass was twice nominated for Emmy Awards, first for an episode of Julia (1968) and then for Bridget Loves Bernie (1972). In addition to his television work, he also began to land meatier roles on the big screen, including Doc in West Side Story (1961) and Popcorn in Experiment in Terror (1962).
One of his most notable film roles was as Doc Schindler in The Fortune Cookie (1966),directed by Billy Wilder, and he also starred as the wily Leonard Gideon in the Hitchcockian thriller Charade (1963).
Glass continued to play crusty reprobates in films and on television until his final role in an episode of Cagney & Lacey (1981). He passed away two years later at the age of 78 in Encino, California.
