Paul Sparer

Paul Israel Sparer (December 19, 1923 – November 19, 1999) was an American character actor born in Boston, Massachusetts, to a Jewish family. His Broadway career spanned nearly four decades, from 1953 to 1990, and included productions such as Shadowlands, Awake and Sing!, Medea, Saint Joan, and Poor Murderer. His stage work earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1962.

Beyond the stage, Sparer built a substantial presence in television. He portrayed Rex Cooper on the soap operas Somerset and Another World, and served as the narrator of the anthology horror series Tales from the Darkside. His television credits also encompass Armstrong Circle Theatre, Kojak, The Adams Chronicles, Lou Grant, and Spenser: For Hire. He appeared in the first episode of Law & Order, "Prescription for Death." His film work included roles in Loving and The House on Carroll Street.

Sparer also worked in audio, narrating the unabridged recording of Kahlil Gibran's 1923 work The Prophet. The audiobook was first released in 1985 and reissued in 2006.

In his personal life, Sparer was married to actress Nancy Marchand, with whom he had three children. The couple had seven grandchildren. Sparer died of cancer in Manhattan on November 19, 1999, at the age of 75. Marchand died of lung cancer approximately six months later, on June 18, 2000.