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Steven Hill (born February 24, 1922 in Seattle, Washington as Solomon Krakovsky) is an American film and television actor who was a founding member of Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio. He is best known as District Attorney Adam Schiff in the NBC TV drama series Law & Order, a part that he played for ten seasons (1990-2000). At the time of his departure, he was the last remaining original cast member.
After a four-year hitch with the Naval Reserve, Hill made his first New York stage appearance in Ben Hecht's A Flag is Born (1946), which also featured a young Marlon Brando. Hill made his film debut in 1950, then returned to the Navy for two more years before settling down to acting on a permanent basis. He was particularly busy in the so-called "Golden Age" of live TV drama, appearing in such prestigious video offerings as "The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti." (1959).
Hill was the original leader of the Impossible Missions Force, Dan Briggs (as in "Good morning, Mr. Briggs...") in the series Mission: Impossible, but he left the show after the first season. As one of the few Orthodox Jewish actors working in Hollywood, he was not willing to abide by the show’s production schedule because it required him to work during the Sabbath. He was replaced the next season by Peter Graves.
Hill remained very much in demand throughout the 1980s and 1990s, playing parental and authority-figure roles in such films as Yentl (1983), Heartburn (1986), and Billy Bathgate (1991). Along with Law & Order castmate Sam Waterston, he has also appeared in commercials for T.D. Waterhouse, an investment brokerage.
External links
- Steven Hill at IMDb