Sidney Armus

Sidney Armus (December 19, 1924 – June 21, 2002) was an American actor born in the Bronx, New York City, whose career on Broadway spanned four decades, from 1949 to 1989. He trained with Erwin Piscator at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School for Social Research, where he appeared in productions including The Flies, There is No End, and Crew 55.

Armus made his Broadway debut in 1949 in the original production of South Pacific. In 1952, he took on the role of "Itchy" Flexner, the social director, in the musical comedy Wish You Were Here, which opened at the Imperial Theatre on June 25, 1952, and ran for 598 performances before closing on November 28, 1953. The musical, with a book by Arthur Kober and Joshua Logan and music and lyrics by Harold Rome, was adapted from Kober's 1937 play Having Wonderful Time and centers on a summer camp for adults. Among his other Broadway credits were Cafe Crown, The Flowering Peach (1954), The Cold Wind and the Warm (1958), and Harold (1962).

On television, Armus appeared in early 1950s dramatic programs including Goodyear Playhouse and The United States Steel Hour, as well as series such as Columbo, Kojak, and The Defenders. In the early 1990s, he appeared in multiple episodes of Law & Order in the role of various judges. His film work included roles in The Thomas Crown Affair, Postcards from the Edge, Sleepless in Seattle, and One Fine Day. In his later career, Armus owned and operated Theatre 22, an off-off-Broadway theater in New York City, where he directed plays. He died in 2002 in Manhattan.