Segal, George, Jr., 1934-2021, American actor, b. New York City, Columbia Univ. (B.A., 1955). Raised in Great Neck, Long Island, Segal began his career playing tenor banjo in jazz bands and performing as a magician at parties. After college and serving in the army, he made his acting debut as an understudy in The Iceman Cometh at the off-Broadway theater, Circle in the Square, in 1956, and his film debut five years later. In 1965, he was hired by director Mike Nichols to play the young university professor in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? He is best-remembered for a series of satiric films that he made in the ‘70s, including Where’s Poppa? (1970), Blume in Love (1973), California Split (1974), and Fun with Dick and Jane (1977). From the ‘80s on, he appeared in supporting roles in films, and in the late ‘90s-early 2000s, had roles on TV sitcoms, including Just Shoot Me! (1997-2003) and The Goldbergs (2013-21). He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2017). He also issued several albums of ragtime and jazz-flavored music as a banjo player and occasionally played and sang in his film and TV roles.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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