Martin Balsam Height, Weight, Age, Death, Wife, Biography

Publish date: 2024-05-21
Martin Balsam Quick Info
Height5 ft 6½ in
Weight67 kg
Date of BirthNovember 4, 1919
Zodiac SignScorpio
Date of DeathFebruary 13, 1996

Martin Balsam was an American actor who is best remembered for giving phenomenal performances in films like Psycho (1960), On the Waterfront (1954), 12 Angry Men (1957), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), A Thousand Clowns (1965), All the President’s Men (1976), Little Big Man (1970), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), The Carpetbaggers (1964), etc.

Born Name

Martin Henry Balsam

Nick Name

The Bronx Barrymore

Age

He was born on November 4, 1919.

Died

Balsam passed away from a stroke on February 13, 1996, at the age of 76 years in Rome, Italy.

Sun Sign

Scorpio

Born Place

New York City, New York, United States

Nationality

American

Education

He completed his high school education at DeWitt Clinton High School in 1938.

Additionally, he studied acting under the renowned German director Erwin Piscator at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School located in New York.

Occupation

Actor

Family

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 6½ in or 169 cm

Weight

67 kg or 147.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Martin Balsam had dated –

  • Pearl Somner ​(1951-1954)​ – His first marriage was to actress Pearl Somner and it lasted from 1951 to 1954.
  • Joyce Van Patten ​(1955-1962)​ – Actress Joyce Van Patten and Martin began dating in 1955. They got married 2 years later on August 18, 1957. The couple became parents to a daughter named Talia Balsam (b. March 5, 1959), but headed for divorce not long after in 1962.
  • Irene Miller ​(1963-1987) – The Murder on the Orient Express (1974) star wed Irene Miller in 1963. Their marriage produced a son named Adam Balsam and a daughter named Zoe Balsam before ending in divorce in 1987.
  • Race / Ethnicity

    White

    He had Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.

    Hair Color

    Black

    However, his hair had turned ‘Gray’ due to his advancing age.

    Eye Color

    Hazel

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    Short height

    Martin Balsam Facts

  • He was a veteran of the famous Actors Studio located in New York. In spite of his success, Martin frequently returned to the Actors Studio, especially during his later years.
  • Martin had originally voiced the character of HAL-9000 in Stanley Kubrick‘s magnum Opus, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). However, Kubrick felt that his voice was ‘too colloquially American’ for the computer and replaced him with Douglas Rain.
  • From his distinguished filmography, 6 films have been included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically’ significant. They are On the Waterfront (1954),12 Angry Men (1957), Psycho (1960), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Little Big Man (1970), and All the President’s Men (1976).
  • Martin and his ex-wife Joyce Van Patten came together to play an onscreen married couple in St. Elmo’s Fire (1985).
  • Four of his films were nominated for ‘Best Picture’ Oscars: On the Waterfront (1954), 12 Angry Men (1957), A Thousand Clowns (1965), and All the President’s Men (1976).  Out of them, only the former ended up winning the award.
  • Among his many accolades was winning a Tony Award for ‘Best Actor in a Play’ in 1968 for his performance in Robert Anderson’s You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running (1968). Furthermore, Martin also won the Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in 1966 for his performance in A Thousand Clowns (1965).
  • Featured Image by Unknown / Wikimedia / Public Domain

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