Allan Arbus American actor Date of Birth: 15.02.1918 Country: USA

Biography of Allan Arbus

Allan Arbus was an American actor known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman in the television series 'M*A*S*H'. Born in New York City on February 15, 1918, Arbus grew up in a Jewish family. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, where he developed an interest in music and acting, performing in school plays. Rumor has it that he played the clarinet on Benny Goodman's recordings before pursuing acting.

During the 1940s, Arbus served as a photographer in the American army. After being discharged in 1946, he and his first wife, the future renowned photographer Diane Arbus (born Nemerov), whom he married in 1941, opened a commercial photography business in Manhattan. The Arbuses gained fame primarily through their advertising photographs, which appeared in magazines such as 'Glamour', 'Seventeen', 'Vogue', 'Harper's Bazaar', and through their campaign for 'Russek's', a high-end department store on Fifth Avenue owned by Diane's father. One of the most influential figures in American photography history, Edward Steichen, curated an exhibition called 'The Family of Man' in 1955, which featured the Arbuses' work.

Their professional partnership ended in 1956 when Diane left the business, and they officially divorced three years later. Although they had been living apart for ten years by that time, they maintained a good relationship. Unfortunately, in 1971, Diane, who suffered from severe depression, took her own life. The couple had two children, Doon Arbus, a writer and art director, and Amy Arbus, who also became a photographer.

After the dissolution of his first marriage and photography business, Arbus decided to leave photography behind and pursue the acting career he had always dreamed of. This dream had been put on hold when he started a family and had to consider providing for them. In 1969, he moved to California and appeared in several films and TV series. His new career took off with his starring role in Robert Downey Sr.'s cult film 'Greaser's Palace' in 1972. He also played alongside Bette Davis in the TV movie 'Scream, Pretty Peggy' in 1973 and portrayed Gregory LaCava in the biopic 'W.C. Fields and Me' in 1976. However, Arbus gained true popularity on television, where he played most of his roles. One of his notable roles was as Dr. Sidney Freedman in the TV series 'M*A*S*H', set in a military hospital. His work in 'M*A*S*H' greatly contributed to his career as a character actor. He played a drunken sailor in the drama 'Cinderella Liberty' (1973), a drug dealer with peculiar sexual desires in the black action film 'Coffy' (1973), and one of many victims in the supernatural thriller 'Damien: Omen II' (1978), but his TV work is better known. His last TV series role was in the comedy 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' in 2000.

Among Arbus's other TV credits are shows such as 'Law & Order', 'Matlock', 'In the Heat of the Night', 'L.A. Law', 'Starsky and Hutch', and 'Judging Amy'. In 1977, Allan married actress Mariclare Costello, who was 18 years younger than him. They had a daughter named Arin Arbus. Allan Arbus passed away on April 19, 2013, in Los Angeles, at the age of 95, due to heart failure.