Barney Martin

Barney Martin (March 3, 1923 – March 21, 2005) was an American actor and comedian born in New York City and raised in Queens. Before entering show business, Martin served as a navigator in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II and subsequently spent twenty years with the New York Police Department, rising to the rank of detective. He began developing his comedic skills while still on the force, delivering humorous presentations to deputy commissioners.

Martin's transition into entertainment began in the mid-1950s, when he worked as a stand-in for Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners during the 1955–56 season and contributed part-time writing for Steve Allen. His film career was launched when Mel Brooks cast him in The Producers (1967), and the following year he appeared as Hank in Charly. His Broadway career ran from 1962 to 1980 and included productions such as All American, All Over, Promises, and The Roast.

Martin's most significant stage credit came in 1975 and 1976, when he originated the role of Amos Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago, introducing the song "Mr. Cellophane" to audiences. He also appeared in additional theatrical productions throughout his career, including South Pacific, The Fantasticks, and How Now, Dow Jones.

On television, Martin built an extensive career as a character actor across several decades. He appeared in two episodes of The Odd Couple in different roles and co-starred with Tony Randall for two seasons on The Tony Randall Show, playing court reporter Jack Terwilliger with second billing only to Randall. In 1979, he was cast in the title role of Norman Lear's unproduced pilot McGurk: A Dog's Life, conceived as an anthropomorphic counterpart to Archie Bunker. In 1987, he appeared in the pilot episode of 21 Jump Street as Johnny Depp's partner, and in 1990 he co-starred with Valerie Bertinelli and Matthew Perry in the CBS sitcom Sydney. He played the recurring role of Pete Peters on the Don Rickles sitcom Daddy Dearest in 1993 and appeared in guest roles on programs including Golden Girls, Mama's Family, Murphy Brown, Full House, and Barney Miller.

Martin is perhaps best remembered for playing Morty Seinfeld, the father of Jerry Seinfeld's character, on the sitcom Seinfeld. He first appeared in the role in Season 2's "The Pony Remark," having been brought in to replace Phil Bruns, who had portrayed the character in a single Season 1 episode. Showrunners Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld sought a harder-edged interpretation of the character, and Martin held the role through the series finale in 1998. Despite coming from an Irish Catholic family, Martin noted that many Jewish viewers told him his portrayal of Morty reminded them of their own fathers.

His film work included a supporting role in the 1981 Dudley Moore comedy Arthur, in which he played Ralph Marolla, the unemployed father of Liza Minnelli's character, a role he reprised in the 1988 sequel Arthur 2: On the Rocks. Martin died of bladder cancer on March 21, 2005, in Studio City, California, at the age of 82. He was cremated, and his ashes were returned to his family.