Tovah Feldshuh Biography

After attending Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Michigan, Tovah Feldshuh studied acting with Uta Hagen and Jacques LeCoq. Feldshuh made her professional debut at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Cyrano de Bergerac; it was in this selfsame play that she made her Broadway bow in 1973. The following year, she was honored with the Theatre World Award for her starring appearance in Yentl. She later worked with the American Shakespeare Festival, starred in such Broadway productions as Sarava (1978) and Lend Me a Tenor (1989), and toured in her own one-woman show. Feldshuh inaugurated her film career in 1973 on a less-than-prestigious note with Scream, Pretty Peggy. Though the quality of her films improved over the next 20 years, she is held in higher esteem for her TV appearances. Feldshuh has been seen as Katharine Hepburn in the made-for-TV biopic The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977) and as Helena Slomova in the blockbuster miniseries Holocaust (1978); she also appeared as a regular on the ABC daytimer Ryan's Hope and as prison psychiatrist Dr. Deena Hertz in the prime-time weekly Mariah (1987). In addition to her acting accomplishments, Tovah Feldshuh has been active in numerous Jewish civic and charitable causes; for these and other selfless efforts, she has been honored with the Israeli Government Friendship Award and the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

• 1. Judy Stein: And you came home after the first day of rehearsal and said to me, 'Mommy, I'm not gonna do it. I quit.' And I said, 'Jessie, my love, why?' And you said, 'Because my co-star isn't good enough. And if my co-star isn't good enough, then the play won't be good enough. And I don't want to be part of any play that isn't good enough.' And I thought to myself, oy. This child will suffer.
  From Kissing Jessica Stein. Submitted by Letitia L (14 months ago)

• 1. Lilian Kantrowitz: You think you're the only one who's dream didn't come true?
  From A Walk on the Moon. Submitted by Jason B (15 months ago)