Phil Leeds

Leeds was born on April 6, 1916 in New York City, the son of a post office clerk. Raised in the Bronx, he was a peanut vendor for some time near Yankee Stadium and Manhattan's Polo Grounds.[2] After serving in the US Army in World War II, he started his career as a standup comedian and then went on to appear in several films and sitcoms, including Rosemary's Baby, Beaches, All in the Family, Three's Company, Night Court, Wings, Ally McBeal, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Larry Sanders Show in three episodes as Hank Kingsley's agent, Barney Miller in seven episodes including in one as a man who propositions Detective Fish, Car 54, Where Are You?, The Patty Duke Show, The Monkees, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Friends, Roseanne as Leon's co-worker and lover, Mad About You, The Dick Van Dyke Show, as Buddy Sorrell's pool shark brother, and The Golden Girls.

At age 80, he appeared on an episode of Roseanne in which Roseanne finds herself drawn into a creepy 1990s version of Rosemary's Baby (Leeds had played Dr. Shand in the original 1968 film). He appeared as a friendly spirit in the 1990 film Ghost. He appeared in the episode "When I'm 64" in the TV series ALF as Jack, one of the residents of a retirement home. His final role was a brief scene in Lost & Found (1999).

Leeds was blacklisted during the McCarthy era after pleading the fifth when examined by the House Un-American Activities Committee.[3][4]

Leeds died of pneumonia on August 16, 1998 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles[1] at age 82. "Happy Trails," an episode of Ally McBeal, featured footage of his prior appearances on the show, eulogizing his character.

• Phil Leeds at IMDb