Todd Susman (born January 17, 1947) is an American actor.
Early life A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Susman graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1965."Distinguished Alumni". Ladue Education Foundation and Alumni Association. Accessed February 8, 2018.
Career Susman has appeared in over one hundred different television series and commercials and was also featured in the Broadway production of Hairspray, the 1970s films Star Spangled Girl (1971), The Loners (1972), Little Cigars (1973) and California Dreaming (1979). He later appeared in the major studio films Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Coneheads (1993), The Juror (1996), and the remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). Susman was in the 2007 independent film, The Big Bad Swim, and the 2009 comedy, The Flying Scissors. He also voiced the lead character in the 2002 video game Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix.
Susman had supporting roles in the films Only The Strong (1993), Night of the Running Man (1995), Bodily Harm (1995), Just Write (1997), Blast from the Past (1999), High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003), The A Plate (2011) and (2012).
In addition, he appeared in the TV Movies Death Scream (1975), Portrait of an Escort (1980), Thornwell (1981), The Other Victim (1981), City Killer (1984), I Married a Centerfold (1984), The Guardian (1997), The Superagent (2009) and You Don't Know Jack (2010). He portrayed Sergeant Dobbs in the 1986 TV mini-series Fresno.
Susman's better known television roles include, between 1984 and 1989, as Officer Shifflett on 20 episodes of Newhart, and as the unseen P.A. system announcer on 46 episodes of the television series M*A*S*H (a task he shared with actor Sal Viscuso, who provided the voice on 37 episodes), and one guest role in January 1974, as Private Danny Baker. Susman played Howard Bloom in 5 episodes of Orange is the New Black. He portrayed Ben Braxton in 6 episodes of Empty Nest, Victor Bevine in 4 episodes of St. Elsewhere, Glen in 4 episodes of Grace Under Fire, Bill in 4 episodes of Coach, and 4 different characters in 4 episodes of Barney Miller.
In 1976, he was a regular on the six-episode CBS adventure series Spencer's Pilots. He portrayed Ted Lapinsky in The Waltons (the episodes 'The Home Front' (1979) and 'The Unthinkable" (1980)) and appeared as detective Spade Marlow in the 1991 episode of The Golden Girls titled "The Case of the Libertine Belle". Before that, Susman submitted a pilot series for Grant Tinker for MTM Enterprises about an innocent young man arriving in New York City to start his career. Other television shows Susman has appeared on since 1971 include Love, American Style (3 episodes), Room 222 (3 episodes), Kojak, Eight Is Enough, The White Shadow, Little House on the Prairie, Lou Grant, Remington Steele, Alice, Hill Street Blues, The Facts of Life, Cagney & Lacey, Night Court (3 episodes), Who's the Boss?, Punky Brewster (3 episodes), Webster (4 episodes), ALF, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote, Blossom (2 episodes), Married... with Children, The Commish, ER, Suddenly Susan, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Bull.
In 2012, Susman appeared in the original cast of the off-Broadway Westside Theatre show, "Old Jews Telling Jokes", in which Jessica Shaw of Entertainment Weekly called his portrayal "the funniest moment...delivered with a Yiddish accent as thick as schmaltz". Jason Zinoman of The New York Times also complimented his performance, saying "the incongruity between content and form is perfectly tuned, and Mr. Susman benefits from resisting the urge to oversell the joke". David Finkle of TheaterMania.com also said Susman "often scores simply through his feigned stoicism".
In 2013, Susman, along with the Old Jews Telling Jokes cast and The Chew personality Carla Hall, appeared at Carnegie Deli to unveil the "OJTJ sandwich", named for the comedy group.
Personal life In a 1971 news article, Susman mentioned he moved to Los Angeles because a friend told him he could make $500 a week as a writer. Unfortunately, the plan did not go well and he ended up making $60 a week as a writer for American International Pictures. (Susman would play the lead role in a sitcom pilot about a man in a similar situation: an Ohio novelist who comes to New York expecting his book to be published, but it isn't, and he has to scrape by doing odd jobs. The pilot, "Going Places", aired on NBC on March 19, 1973, but it wasn't picked up by the network.)
Susman has one child with his first wife Judy, who is a working actress. He married Bella Kordonov on November 6, 1982; they have three children.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2022 Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game Sam Gensberg 2012 The Discoverers Dr. Salter 2011 The A Plate Lieutenant Stan Carlson 2010 You Don't Know Jack Stan Levy TV movie2009 The Flying Scissors Frank Johnson The Superagent Solar TV movie The Taking of Pelham 123 Supervisor 2006 The Big Bad Swim Martin Webber 2003 High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story Max Ungar 1999 Blast from the Past Butcher 1997 The Guardian Mickey Cashulin TV movie Just Write Priest 1996 The Juror Bozeman 1995 Bodily Harm Jerry Roth Night of the Running Man Meyer Weiss 1993 Coneheads Ron Only the Strong Mr. Cochran 1987 Beverly Hills Cop II Foreman 1984 I Married a Centerfold Bill Bodell TV movie The City Killer Jerry TV movie 1981 The Other Victim Tim McQuire TV movie Thornwell Ketchum TV movie 1980 Portrait of an Escort Ted Quinn TV movie 1979 California Dreaming Jordy Banks 1975 Death Scream Jimmy Crescent TV movie 1973 Little Cigars "Buzz" 1972 The Loners Alan 1971 Star Spangled Girl Norman Cornell
Television Year Title Role Notes 2020–2021 For Life Judge Ira Walker 2 episodes 2018–2021 Bull Judge Mathias Cleary 3 episodes 2014 Alpha House Saul Watt 4 episodes 2013–2014 Orange Is the New Black Howard Bloom 5 episodes 2012 Person of Interest Henry Brooks Episode: "'Til Death" 2000 Angel Magnus Bryce Episode: "Guise Will Be Guise" Futurama P.A. Announcer (voice) Episode: "War Is the H-Word" 1999 ER Dr. Sam Jenkins Episode: "Greene with Envy" 1997 The Burning Zone Henry Newland 2 episodes 1995–1997 Coach Bill 4 episodes 1995–1996 Grace Under Fire Glen 4 episodes 1995 Step by Step Howard Episode: "Midnight Caller" The Invaders Captain Johnson 2 episodes 1994–1995 Empty Nest Ben Braxton 6 episodes 1994 The Commish Gideon 'Giggy' Fisher Episode: "Romeo and Juliet" 1994 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Eugene Laderman Episode: "The Ides of Metropolis" 1994 Married... with Children Bill Ellis Episode: "Get Outta Dodge" 1991 The Golden Girls Detective Spade Marlow Episode: "The Case of the Libertine Belle" Sons and Daughters Roger 2 episodes 1990 City Roger Barnett 13 episodes 1989 Have Faith Arthur Glass 7 episodes 1989 Highway to Heaven Mr. Carlyle Episode: "Goodbye, Mr. Zelinka" 1989 ALF Jimbo Episode: "Hide Away" 1987 Punky Brewster Mike Deaton Episode: "Beer & Buffalos Don't Mix"1987Who's the Boss?Marty Di NardoEpisode: "A Fishy Tale" 1986 Fresno Sergeant Dobbs 4 episodes1986Night CourtMr. RodgersEpisode: "Dan's Operation, Part 1 & 2" 1985–1988 St. Elsewhere Victor Bevine 4 episodes 1985 Fame Jim Parker Episode: "Leroy and the Kid" St. Elsewhere Dr. Westphall's Insightful Moving Man Episode: "Slice O'Life" 1984–1989 Newhart Officer Shifflett 20 episodes 1983–1984 Goodnight, Beantown Augie Kleindab 2 episodes 1982 Star of the Family Leo Feldman 10 episodes 1981 Little House on the Prairie Max Episode: "The Legend of Black Jake" 1979–1980 The Waltons Ted Lapinsky 3 episodes1978 Eight is Enough Artie Episode: "The War Between the Bradfords" 1976 Spencer's Pilots Stan Lewis 11 episodes 1975 The Bob Crane Show Marvin Susman 14 episodes 1974 M*A*S*H Pvt. Danny Baker Episode: "Operation Noselift" 1973–1979 M*A*S*H P.A. System Announcer 47 episodes 1971, 1973 Room 222 Barney, Archie, Arthur Billings 3 episodes
Videogames Year Title Role 2010 Red Dead Redemption The Local Population 2005 Bully Mr. Gordon 2003 Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Mobster / Policeman / Russian 2002 Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix John Mullins 2001 Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel Paladin Ziskele 2000 Soldier of Fortune John Mullins 1997 Dilbert's Desktop Games Pointy-Haired Boss / Fool Voices
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