Fred Sadoff

Frederick Edward Sadoff was born on October 21, 1926, in California, to Russian-Jewish parents Bertha (née Leib) and Henry Sadoff. He grew up with two older brothers, Sidney and Robert. His Broadway database records list Brooklyn, New York, as his place of origin, though his external biography identifies California as his birthplace. He died on May 6, 1994, in Los Angeles, at the age of 68.

Sadoff began his involvement in show business during his teenage years, performing with stock theater companies. His Broadway career ran from 1949 to 1953 and included three productions: South Pacific, in which he made his Broadway debut in 1949, followed by Camino Real and Wish You Were Here. He was a founding member and lifelong member of The Actors Studio.

Beyond his Broadway work, Sadoff relocated to London, where he partnered with Sir Michael Redgrave to establish a production company called F.E.S. Plays, Ltd. The company produced several works, among them The Importance of Being Oscar, which had a brief run on Broadway in 1961. During his time in England, he directed for both the BBC and Rediffusion. In 1958, he became the first American to serve as assistant director for the Shakespeare Memorial Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon.

After returning to the United States, Sadoff pursued a career in film and television. He appeared in The Poseidon Adventure (1972), playing Linarcos, the company representative who instructed Captain Harrison, portrayed by Leslie Nielsen, to proceed full ahead. Additional film credits include Papillon (1973), Cinderella Liberty (1973), and The Terminal Man (1974).

On television, Sadoff accumulated recurring appearances across multiple series, including nine episodes of The Streets of San Francisco, six episodes of Barney Miller, three episodes of Barnaby Jones, and two episodes of The Rockford Files, as well as a guest role on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Quincy, M.E. He also appeared in the soap operas Ryan's Hope, All My Children, and Days of Our Lives. Sadoff died of AIDS on May 6, 1994, at his home in Los Angeles.