Herb Edelman who coincidentally bumped into the field of acting is known today as the bald American actor who starred in the TV series The Golden Girls. He had fans from all over the world, especially because the TV series topped the charts in most countries. He was greatly admired for his portrayal of Stanley Zbornak for which he earned 2 Primetime Emmy nominations. More so, he garnered fame for his marriage to the multi-award-winning soap opera actress, Louise Sorel. Read on as we dig into Herb’s bio, family life, net worth, and death in this piece.
Herb Edelman Biography
Herbert Edelman was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 5, 1933. He was also raised in Brooklyn and went through elementary and high school there. Growing up, Herb seemed to be confused about what career path to follow and this is seen in the inconsistency of his educational choices. When he had finished high school, he decided he wanted to become a vet doctor, so he went ahead to study it at the college level at Cornell University. He spent a year in college but couldn’t continue for no revealed reason.
After dropping out, Herb tried his hands in the U.S Army where he was recruited as an anchorman for the Armed Forces Radio. However, he didn’t stay long with the U.S army as he decided to give schooling a second trial, and this time, he was going to study Theater Arts. He went on to register for the course at Brooklyn University, but couldn’t finish up there either. A few years down the line, he left school and took up a job with a hotel as the manager.
Within a short while, Herb Edelman switched to driving a cab to make money. It was on the course of his daily driving routine, that he was privileged to meet the movie director, Mike Nichols who booked him up for one of his productions and that was the turning point in Herb’s life and career. Moreso, his role in Neil Simon’s movie, Barefoot in the Park opened him up to other opportunities to act. He was later seen as Murray in The Odd Couple which was a very successful movie that got him many other roles in both films and Tv series in the years to come.
Furthermore, it is interesting to know that Herb’s versatile knowledge of different languages like French, Italian, Japanese, Hebrew, German, and many others helped him to impressively portray his characters. One of his widely recognized roles was as Stanley Zibornark in the popular ’80s and ’90s sitcom, The Golden Girls. This was also the only film that earned the actor two award nominations from the Primetime Emmy Awards. However, he is also notable for showcasing his talents in productions like Big John, Little John, Cannon, Welcome Back, Fantasy Island, The Streets of San Fransisco among many others.
Herb Edelman’s Wife – Louise Sorel & His Children
The famous actor was known to be involved with different women at different times but among the numerous side ladies, Herb Edelman only married once and that was Louise Sorel. His wife was a very successful American actress with multiple awards to her name. It was also gathered that she had a Jewish origin but she was born in Los Angeles in California.
A glimpse into their relationship revealed that Herb married Louise in 1964 and the couple spent 6 years together before breaking up. Although he did not have any kids with her, the actor fathered two girls namely, Briana Edelman and Jacy Edelman from his relationship with Merrilyn Cosgrove. However, the actor also backed out of this relationship and his last affair was with the actress, Christina Pickles.
Death
The sore hands of death ended the long-standing life and acting career of Herb Edelman after he was diagnosed with Empsyphea, a chronic breathing infection. The actor passed on at the age of 62 on the 21st of July 1996 and was laid to rest at the Montefiore Cemetary in Queens.
Herb Edelman Net Worth
At the time of his death, the actor had appeared in quite a number of widely acclaimed films and sitcoms. Although it is believed he was paid well for his roles, he was never open about his earnings and net worth. Some sources, however, pegged his net worth at $8 million but the figure is yet to be confirmed.
Height
Herb Edelman was indeed a very tall man as he stood at a towering height of 6 feet 5 inches. He was also notable for his bald head but irrespective of that, he was good-looking even in his old age.
